Mitsubishi to boost run rate at fire hit ethylene plant at Kashima

16-May-08

Mitsubishi Chemical Corp plans to restart the sixth furnace at the fire-hit No. 2 unit of its Kashima ethylene plant, raising capacity to 390000 tpa of ethylene. A fire on Dec. 21 forced the complete shutdown of the No.2 unit. The restart amounts to 76% of full capacity of 516000 tpa from 320000 tons. The first five furnaces of the No. 2 unit were restarted in mid-March. The seventh furnace is expected to resume operations by the end of 2008. Restart of the No. 8 furnace, where the fire broke out and it was most severely damaged, has been difficult to schedule.