Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical runs BTX unit at 80-90% of capacity

17 April 2012 12:04  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Japanese aromatics maker, Sumitomo Chemical, is operating its Chiba-based benzene, toluene and solvent xylene (BTX) facility at 80-90% of capacity because of reduced production at its naphtha cracker, said a company source on Tuesday.

The company reduced production at the BTX unit from March 2012, in tandem with the cracker where production rates were cut on the back of poor margins, he added.

The facility can produce 150,000 tonnes/year of benzene, 60,000 tonnes/year of toluene and 30,000 tonnes/year of solvent xylene.

The company was using the benzene produced from this plant for captive consumption at a downstream styrene monomer (SM) unit, the source added.

Some of the other key Japanese BTX producers are JX Nippon Oil & Energy and Idemitsu Kosan.

By: Mahua Chakravarty
+65 6780 4359

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