(ICIS) -- Three of Nan Ya Plastics' four monoethylene glycol (MEG) units at Mailiao will again have to shut down, one after the other, starting 30 November, for safety inspections, a company spokesperson said on Monday. Nan Ya is a unit of Taiwanese petrochemical major, Formosa.
The planned shutdown of the MEG units is part of the Formosa group's agreement with the Taiwanese government. following a series of fire incidents that occured at the petrochemical site since July last year, said David Tsou of Nan Ya Plastics.
The company's 360,000 tonne/year No 2 MEG unit will be taken off line on 30 November, followed by the No 3 unit, which also has a 360,000 tonne/year capacity, at the end of this year. The 720,000 tonne/year No 4 unit, meanwhile, will be shut in March 2012, Tsou said. ⌠Only the No 1 unit will not be shut for safety inspections, said the Nan Ya spokesperson. No definite timeline was set on how long the safety checks will last.
The No 1 and No 3 units that each has a 360,000 tonne/year capacity are currently undergoing maintenance. The No 1 unit is expected to come back on stream on 2 November, while the No 3 unit will resume operations on 16 November, Tsou said.
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MEA) has approved a plan submitted by the Formosa Plastics Group to suspend operations at its petrochemical facilities in Mailiao in phases before resuming full operation by August next year, according to Tsou.