Japan’s Mitsui Chemicals to slash TDI capacity at Omuta in 2025

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Mitsui Chemicals is cutting the production capacity of its toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant at Omuta, Japan, to 50,000 tonnes/year from 120,000 tonnes/year currently in July 2025, the Japanese producer said on Tuesday.

“Given supply and demand trends in Japan and overseas, Mitsui Chemicals has decided that a reduced output of around 50,000 tonnes per year will be optimal going forward,” the company said in a statement.

The new setup will still allow the company to meet domestic demand for TDI, which is used as a raw material in the production of polyurethane (PU), it said.

Mitsui Chemicals has positioned PU as one of several businesses in the that would be subject to restructuring under its long-term plan.

“In addition to the forthcoming optimisation of TDI production capacity, the restructure will encompass the development of high value-added products, including high-performance methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and high-performance polyols such as polypropylene glycol,” the company said.

Mitsui Chemicals also intends to set up a chemical recycling scheme for PU foam and is considering the use of ISCC PLUS-certified bio-based toluene produced at the company’s Osaka Works site to produce “greener TDI”, it added.