Yantai, China - Chinese polyurethane supplier Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes Co. Ltd is to spend RMB13 200 million ($1930 million) on an extensive isocyanate project which involves building a 600-kilotonnes-per-annum MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) plant and a 300-ktpa toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant in the Lingang Industry Park in the Yantai Economic Development Zone, Shandong Province, in China.
The project, which involves eventual closure of its existing 200-ktpa MDI plant at Yantai Zhifu Zone, has been given the OK by China's National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC). The approval is for an integrated project covering 215.727 hectares and includes facilities for chlorine, aniline, caustic soda, and nitric acid, among others ( see below).
The Chinese group has already announced plans to push its MDI capacity to 800 ktpa, adding a 300 ktpa unit at Ningbo to its first 250 ktpa plant there.
Yantai Wanhua said in its 14 Dec announcement that it "decided to build these plants at the new production site in order to strengthen its competitive ability."
The project also covers:
300 ktpa caustic soda;
240 ktpa formaldehyde;
540 ktpa nitric acid;
180 ktpa synthetic ammonia;
480 ktpa nitrobenzene facility;
360 ktpa aniline facility;
480 ktpa hydrogen chloride oxidation to produce chlorine; and
152 000 cu.m/h gasification facility and 70000 cu.m/h air-separation facility.
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