Formosa Petrochemical Corp. to shut its unit for few days due to Ethylene shortage in the month of September 2016. Other polyethylene units, including a 235,000 mt/year low density polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate swing plant and a 260,000 mt/year linear low density polyethylene plant, will not be affected and running. Formosa has three naphtha-fed steam crackers and each goes through maintenance once every three years.
The No. 1 cracker was shut in 2015, and the No. 3 cracker will shut in 2017. The No. 1 cracker is able to produce 700,000 mt/year of ethylene, 350,000 mt/year of propylene and 109,000 mt/year of butadiene. The No. 2 unit is able to produce 1.03 million mt/year of ethylene, 515,000 mt/year of propylene and 162,000 mt/year of butadiene. The No. 3 steam cracker has the capacity to produce 1.2 million mt/year of ethylene, 600,000 mt/year of propylene and 180,000 mt/year
