The Utilization Rate of Ethylene Equipment Reached 80.6% in Japan in January
2025-3-4
Recently, the utilization rate of ethylene equipment reached 80.6% in Japan, below the target rate of 90% reflecting the industry¡äs prosperity for 30 consecutive months, according to data released by Japan Petrochemical Industry Association in January. Affected by the increase in production by Asian manufacturers, intensified competition, and oversupply of products, the difficulty in the ethylene production increase may continue.
In January 2025, Japan¡äs ethylene production was 465,600 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 2.3%. Except for high-density polyethylene, the domestic shipments of low-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene have all exceeded the level of the same period last year.
Faced with market challenges, Japanese chemical companies are jumpstarting the restructuring and integration of ethylene production facilities. Currently, Mitsui Chemicals and Idemitsu Kogyo plan to close Idemitsu Kogyo¡äs factory in Chiba Prefecture. Meanwhile, Asahi Kasei, Mitsui Chemicals and Mitsubishi Chemical Group are considering optimizing their ethylene production systems in western Japan.
In January 2025, Japan¡äs ethylene production was 465,600 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 2.3%. Except for high-density polyethylene, the domestic shipments of low-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene have all exceeded the level of the same period last year.
Faced with market challenges, Japanese chemical companies are jumpstarting the restructuring and integration of ethylene production facilities. Currently, Mitsui Chemicals and Idemitsu Kogyo plan to close Idemitsu Kogyo¡äs factory in Chiba Prefecture. Meanwhile, Asahi Kasei, Mitsui Chemicals and Mitsubishi Chemical Group are considering optimizing their ethylene production systems in western Japan.