Japan's Mitsubishi Chemical Corp has won government approval to skip annual maintenance shutdowns at its two Kashima naphtha crackers, so that both crackers are not shut in the same year, as per Reuters. The trade ministry has said the 392,000 tpa No.1 cracker and the 489,000 tpa No.2 cracker at the Kashima complex can continue operations for up to two years without maintenance shutdowns. Previously, Mitsubishi had been required to shut them every year after it was slapped with administrative sanctions in 2008, following a fire at the facility that resulted in four deaths. The company, which shut No.1 Kashima cracker on May 10 for scheduled maintenance, plans to restart it on July 4. The Kashima No.2 cracker is set to be shut next year. The No.1 Kashima cracker will be closed in May-June 2014 as part of the domestic industry's shift to high-end petrochemical products in the face of increased competition from Middle Eastern rivals.
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