UpdateMitsubishi shuts No 2 Kashima cracker

02 September 2008 11:45  [Source: ICIS news]

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SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Mitsubishi Chemical, Japan’s largest cracker operator, shut its No 2 cracker in Kashima, Japan, on Tuesday for an unspecified period of time, a source from the company said.

He declined to provide further details on what caused the unplanned shutdown and the restart schedule for the facility, which has a capacity of 476,000 tonnes/year of ethylene.

Prior to the shutdown, the No 2 cracker was running at a reduced rate of around 80% after a restart following scheduled maintenance.

The company was unable to run the facility at full rates as two of its eight furnaces are still undergoing repairs following a fire in December last year.

The smaller No 1 375,000 tonne/year cracker in Kashima was unaffected by the shutdown. Mitsubishi also runs a 450,000 tonne/year cracker in Mizushima, which was also running smoothly, the source added.

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By: Peh Soo Hwee
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