Earthquake-Prone Japanese Chemical Plants Evaluate Reinforcement Expenditures

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Japanese Chemical Processing Industry is evaluating and implementing various earthquake reinforcements to protect against future earthquake and tsunamis, such as the event experienced in 2011. Currently, Industrial Info is tracking eight projects with a total investment value (TIV) of $110 million in which plants are upgrading earthquake reinforcement. Most of these projects are taking place in ethylene-producing plants.

Maruzen Petrochemical Company Limited (Tokyo, Japan) is planning to spend more than $40 million on earthquake reinforcement modernization at its 3EP ethylene unit and its 4EP ethylene unit at a plant in Chiba. Each of the projects is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2016.

The majority of the spending will come from JX Nippon Oil and Energy Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), which is spending about $70 million to modernize earthquake reinforcements. The vast majority of the spending will occur at the JX Nippon plant in Kawasaki.

The expenditures for earthquake modifications include reinforcing plant foundations and performing structural frame retrofits. The modernizations also will require building fences around specific tanks to prevent tsunamis from sweeping them away. Overall, the modernizations will be necessary to ensure the safety and reliability of the plant when it is faced with earthquakes.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.