Japan Mitsubishi Corporation's cracking facility has initiated repair work on its Kashima 476,000 tons/year No. 2 steam cracker, with all repairs expected to be completed by the end of March. The company started the maintenance on January 28, ahead of formal approval from relevant authorities, as part of preparations for a partial restart. However, the exact restart date remains uncertain and is pending fire department clearance. The unit was shut down on December 21 due to a fire that affected the No. 8 cracking furnace, which then spread to the adjacent No. 6 and No. 7 units. Fortunately, the No. 1 to No. 5 furnaces remained undamaged. Since the damage to No. 6 was not severe, Mitsubishi is repairing it along with the other five unaffected units. Together, these five crackers account for 65% of the total capacity, while the full set (including No. 6) represents 80%.
In South Korea, YNCC plans to conduct an overhaul of the three furnaces in its Yecheon No. 3 naphtha steam cracker between March and May. Each furnace will be offline for one month during this period. The cracker has an ethylene capacity of 400,000 tons/year and a propylene capacity of 205,000 tons/year. During the three-month maintenance, the operating load will drop to 85–90%, resulting in a monthly reduction of approximately 4,000 tons of ethylene production.
India’s Indian Oil Corporation (HPCL) is planning to build an oil refinery in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, which will include aromatics and naphtha crackers. The project aims to produce ethylene, propylene, paraxylene, and pure benzene. HPCL has signed agreements with several partners, including Mittal Energy, Gail Ibdia Limited, Oil India Limited, and Total. The project, which received central government approval, is expected to be completed by 2012 and target exports to neighboring Asian countries.
BASF in Germany reported that its expanded steam cracker in Antwerp is now operating at full capacity. The unit had been temporarily shut down six months ago for expansion. Its ethylene capacity increased from 800,000 to 1.05 million tons/year. Originally scheduled to restart in October 2007, the unit faced delays and eventually resumed operations in November at low load. By December, it was still running at pre-expansion levels. Since then, BASF has gradually increased the load to 100%. Meanwhile, the styrene monomer unit in the same area is currently operating below half its designed capacity of 500,000 tons/year but plans to increase output soon.
Additionally, a steam cracker in BASF’s Ludwigshafen complex experienced a temporary shutdown due to an internal steam system failure. A spokesperson confirmed that the unit was being restarted and may resume full operation later that day. The cracker has a 620,000 tons/year ethylene capacity and supplies other facilities, including a 500,000 tons/year styrene plant and a 300,000 tons/year pure benzene unit.
In Belgium, FAO declared force majeure for its NC1 cracker in Antwerp, which has an ethylene capacity of 255,000 tons/year. The smallest of the region’s three crackers, the NC1 unit reportedly suffered a serious malfunction, potentially leading to a multi-week shutdown. FAO is owned 65% by Total and 35% by ExxonMobil.
Malaysia’s Tatung Chemicals reduced the operating load of its two naphtha steam crackers in Pasig Dang due to high naphtha costs. The two plants have a combined ethylene capacity of 667,000 tons/year and a propylene capacity of 345,000 tons/year. Recently, the company launched a new disproportionation unit with a 115,000 tons/year propylene capacity.
Iran’s Navid Zar Chimi, a polypropylene producer, has been approved to construct a 1.3 million tons/year ethane cracker in Assaluyeh, expected to be completed in about four years. The cracker will use ethane from a nearby refinery to supply downstream polyethylene, PVC, and VAM plants.
Mitsui Chemicals in Japan plans to shut down its Osaka naphtha cracker for a one-month overhaul in July 2008. The cracker has an ethylene capacity of 455,000 tons/year and was already offline for maintenance starting June 23. It is also expected that the Chiba cracker, with a capacity of 553,000 tons/year, will undergo maintenance in 2009.
Taiwan’s Formosa Petrochemical plans to stop and overhaul its No. 2 naphtha steam cracker in Maijing in March due to mechanical issues. The plant has an ethylene capacity of 900,000 tons/year, and the shutdown could last 7–10 days, consuming approximately 52,000–74,000 tons of naphtha.
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