China’s ZRCC to shut aromatics, PX units for maintenance

17 February 2012 02:39  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co (ZRCC) plans to shut its No 1 aromatics plant at Ningbo in Zhejiang province on 19 February for maintenance that will take 40-50 days, a company source said on Friday.

The aromatics unit can produce 220,000 tonnes/year of benzene, 250,000 tonnes/year of toluene and 680,000 tonnes/year of isomer-grade xylene (IX), the source said. 

The company will also shut its 530,000 tonne/year paraxylene (PX) plant at Ningbo on the same day for 80 days of maintenance, the source said.

The company will raise the PX unit's operating rate from 80% to 100% after maintenance is completed, the source said.

 ZRCC has purchased about 10,000 tonnes of PX for loading in March and is expected to continue purchasing in the spot market in order to supply PX to downstream purified terephthalic acid (PTA) producers, the source added.

Author: Vivian Liu

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