Mitsui Chemicals' No. 3 Bisphenol-A Unit in Singapore
December 20, 2000
In a bid to meet the rapidly expanding Asian demand for bisphenol-A (BPA) as polycarbonate resin raw material, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (MCI) of Japan has decided to construct a third BPA unit of 70,000-ton per year capacity in Singapore, MCI announced today.
BPA is one of MCI's core businesses which is benefiting from the current rapid growth of polycarbonate resin around the world, especially in the Asian region.
The No. 3 Unit will be built at the current BPA production complex on Jurong Island belonging to MCI's fully owned local subsidiary Mitsui Bisphenol Singapore Pte. Ltd. (MBS). Construction is scheduled to start in May, 2001, for completion in October, 2002.
Having started commercial production of BPA in Singapore in September 1999, MBS is not only operating its No. 1 Unit smoothly since then, but also actively engaged in the construction of its No. 2 BPA Unit for completion in November, 2001. When the No. 3 Unit comes into operation, MBS will have a total BPA capacity of 210,000 ton per year.
MBS's BPA production setup in Singapore will be closely coordinated with its 200,000-ton per year upstream phenol plant, now under construction, of Mitsui Phenol Singapore Pte. Ltd. (MPHS), a joint venture owned 90% by MCI. Construction of the phenol plant at a site adjoining the MBS complex is proceeding smoothly, with completion scheduled for April, 2001.
Singapore is thus expected to become a strategic overseas location which would play an increasingly critical role for MCI in its energetic pursuit of the core businesses phenol and BPA.
