Japan’s Nippon Polyurethane shut MDI units in August/September

02 September 2010 04:40  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Japan's Nippon Polyurethane (NPU) has shut its 200,000 tonne/year methyl di-p-phenylene isocyanate (MDI) facility at Nanyo in Yamaguchi prefecture last weekend for routine maintenance, a company source said on Thursday.

"The plant will restart in mid-October, but the date may change depending on the demand situation," the source said.

As a result, the other 70,000 tonne/year and 130,000 tonne/year MDI plants at the same site had ramped up production to about 80%, he added.

The company’s Ruian-based 50,000 tonne/year MDI splitter in China would be taken off line from the last week of September to the second week of October due to electricity regulations in Zhejiang, the source added.

MDI availability in China had tightened due to the shutdown and poor operating rates at Chinese major - Yantai Wanhua’s 500,000 tonnes/year MDI facility.

The tight supply had boosted buying ideas to $1,800/tonne (€1,404/tonne) CFR (cost and freight) China, while offers were cited at $1,850-1,900/tonne CFR China for September shipments.

On 1 September, spot domestic prices of polymeric-MDI (PMDI) were assessed at yuan (CNY) 15,500-15,800/tonne ($2,276-2,320/tonne) DEL (delivered) and in the import market, PMDI prices were discussed at $1,800-1,850/tonne CFR China, based on ICIS data.

Other key MDI producers in Asia include South Korea’s BASF and Kumho Mitsui Chemicals.

($1 = €0.78 / $1 = CNY6.81)

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By: Ong Sheau Ling
+65 6780 4359

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