Plans for a Grassroot MMA Plant in Texas Continue to Make Progress

---

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Mitsubishi Rayon America Incorporated (New York, New York), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Rayon Company Limited (Toyko, Japan), is continuing to make progress with plans for a grassroot methyl methacrylate (MMA) in Texas, most likely in the Freeport industrial area. Earlier this year, Mitsubishi announced a cooperative agreement with Lucite International Limited (Southampton, England) where the two companies will potentially provide supply of products between this new plant and an Asian plant planned by Lucite, along with the consideration of creating a future joint venture.

Industrialinfo.com originally began tracking Mitsubishi’s plans for a North American plant as part of the North American Projects Database back in September of 2000. The new plant is expected to cost an estimated $150 million to $200 million to construct and will produce 140,000 metric tons per year of MMA when complete in 2009. Mitsubishi is expected to select an engineering contractor for basic design and planning in the summer of 2006, with construction potentially beginning in early 2008.

Lucite currently operates two MMA plants here in the United States, one in Beaumont, Texas, producing nearly 320 million pounds per year, and the other in Memphis, Tennessee, producing an estimated 350 million pounds per year. Lucite had studied the option of constructing another MMA unit in North America in recent years and as a result of the agreement with Mitsubishi will pursue plans to construct another unit in Singapore planned for startup in 2008.

View Plant Profile - 10051432
View Project Report - 01008095

Industrial Information Resources (IIR) is a Marketing Information Service company that has been doing business for over 22 years. IIR is respected as a leader in providing comprehensive market intelligence pertaining to the industrial processing, heavy manufacturing, and energy-related industries throughout the world.