Japan’s Kashima extends shutdown at fire-hit plant

13 May 2008 09:55  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Japan’s Kashima Aromatics has extended a shutdown at its fire-hit chemicals facilities and there is no confirmed date for a restart, said a company source on Tuesday.

 

“We have not decided yet, [as] we haven’t got the approval from local authorities,” added the source.

 

The Ibaraki-based plant, with a capacity of 190,000 tonnes/year of benzene and 420,000 tonnes/year of paraxylene (PX), has been shutdown since a fire at the end of April.  

 

With regard to its supplies based on contractual agreements, the company in discussion with customers to see if contractual volumes could be reduced, he added.

 

“We have partially succeeded but not reached our full target [yet],” he said.

 

About covering the shortfall in its supplies, he said buying was one of the options and declined to reveal any further details.

 

Kashima Aromatics, along with Nippon Oil, are some of the key producers and suppliers of benzene in Japan.

 

For more on aromatics visit ICIS chemical intelligence

For more discussion on the chemicals industry visit ICIS connect

 

By: Mahua Chakravarty
+65 6780 4359

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