Japanese refiner and petrochemical producer Idemitsu has decided to completely stop producing bisphenol-A (BPA) by October 2024, because of intensifying competition with Asian producers and oversupply.
Idemitsu will permanently shut down the 81,000 t/yr BPA manufacturing facility at its plant in eastern prefecture Chiba. This is Idemitsu's only BPA plant and has been operating since 1991. The company produces BPA from feedstock propylene and benzene, which are manufactured at its own plants.
Increasing global competition has forced Japanese producers to optimise their plant operations. Idemitsu also stopped producing acrylic acid and butyl acrylate by March, because of increasing Asian supplies.
Fellow petrochemical firm Japan Polypropylene plans to scrap its 80,000 t/yr Yokkaichi polypropylene (PP) plant in March 2024. It also previously permanently shut its 70,000 t/yr PP production line at the Goi plant in January 2021. Japan Polyethylene terminated operations at its 62,000 t/yr low-density polyethylene production line at its Kashima plant in May 2021.
