Isocyanates complex opens

BASF, Huntsman, and three Chinese partners have begun production at a $1 billion integrated isocyanates complex in China. The Chinese partners in the project are Shanghai Hua Yi, Sinopec Shanghai Gao Qiao Petrochemical Corp., and Shanghai Chloro-Alkali Chemical Co. The facilities have the capacity to annually produce up to 240,000 metric tons of crude methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 160,000 metric tons of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and will serve the rapidly growing market for polyurethanes in China. The same five companies also plan to build a 400,000-metric-ton MDI plant that would come onstream after 2010.