Formosa Plastics reduces run rates at PP plants after fire at feedstock supplier

03-Aug-11

Taiwan's Formosa Plastics has reduced run rates at two of its polypropylene units on account of shortage of feedstock propylene, after a fire at feedstock supplier Formosa Petrochemical Corp.'s Mailiao refinery over the weekend, as per Platts. Run rates have been reduced at its 400,000 tpa Linyuan unit in Taiwan from around 80% to 50-60% after the fire, and from 80% to 40% at its 450,000 tpa unit in Ningbo, China. An indefinite shutdown has been ordered at FPC’s No. 1 naphtha-fed steam cracker after the latest fire on Saturday at its Mailiao refinery. This fire occurred at a propylene production unit attached to residual fluid catalytic crackers. The cracker has been shut since a pipeline fire May 12, and was also hit by fire last Tuesday. FPC has access to some propylene supplies from Taiwan's CPC, but has stopped offering PP.