Japan-based benzene producer - JFE Chemical has undertaken maintenance turnaround of its benzene plant located in Kasaoka, due to feedstock shortage.
One more benzene plant located in Chiba will go off-stream in September-end for a planned maintenance.
JFE Chemical operates two benzene plants. The one in Chiba has an annual capacity of 120,000 tons and another at Kasaoka has of 115,000 tons per year.
The Chiba plant is currently running at 55 percent capacity rate and the Kasaoka plant is operating at 60 percent production rate, a company official informed fibre2fashion.
He added that the Chiba benzene plant will go off-stream in mid-September for a maintenance turnaround for a period of 30 days.
“A maintenance turnaround is in progress at the Kasaoka plant since March-end. “The main reason for the maintenance turnaround at the Kasaoka plant is scarcity of benzene feedstock”, he said.