August 23,
2004
Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation
|
| Agreement to license polycarbonate technology |
Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp. has concluded an agreement to license its polycarbonate (PC) production technology to OAO Kazanorgsintez (KOS) of Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia. KOS is the second licensee of the Asahi Kasei non-phosgene PC technology, following Chimei-Asahi Corp., a joint venture with Chi Mei Corp. of Taiwan. Chimei-Asahi has employed the technology commercially at its plant in Taiwan since June 2002, and trouble-free operation has verified the integrity and reliability of the technology on an industrial scale.
KOS sought to initiate PC production operations to serve the
growing market for PC in Russia, presently supplied by imports.
The enquiry about the Asahi Kasei non-phosgene PC technology
was received through Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Toyo Engineering
Corp. (TEC), and negotiations among the parties began in late
March. KOS and Asahi Kasei Chemicals agreed to terms for grant
of license and supply of basic design in late July. The new
plant in Kazan is scheduled for start-up in November 2007 with
annual capacity of 65,000 tons.
The selection of this PC technology by KOS was made after careful study of the available alternatives. A number of other potential licensees are currently performing studies of the Asahi Kasei PC technology, and Asahi Kasei Chemicals looks forward to successfully concluding negotiations with them in the near future.
The PC production process of Asahi Kasei Chemicals uses carbon
dioxide and bisphenol-A as starting materials. Enabling the
production of PC without phosgene intermediate and methylene
chloride solvent, and generating no waste water, the process
has won recognition for its ecological performance, including
a Green and Sustainable Chemistry Award from Japan's Minister
of Economy, Trade, and Industry, a Technology Award from the
Japan Chemical Industry Association, and a Technology Award
from the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan. Its economic
merits include lower plant construction and maintenance costs,
efficient, high-yield operation, and high product quality and
purity. With the conventional phosgene process which uses chloride
compounds, chlorinated impurities occur in the product PC resulting
in mold corrosion. Further, PC made with the Asahi Kasei non-phosgene
process is ideal for optical disc applications due to extremely
high product purity.
Having achieved its objective of verifying the industrial performance of the technology, Asahi Kasei Chemicals reduced its holding in Chimei-Asahi to 10% in March, and renewed the emphasis on licensing as a pillar of PC-related operations. Chi Mei, with a 90% holding, has taken the lead in the management of Chimei-Asahi for rapid expansion and high earnings growth, and has announced the addition of a second production line with start-up scheduled for 2006.
| OAO Kazanorgsintez corporate profile |
| Location: |
| |
Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation |
| Chairman: |
| |
V. V. Presnyakov |
| President: |
| |
L. S. Alyokhin |
| Major products: |
| |
Ethylene, polyethylene, phenol, ethylene oxide, polyethylene pipe |
| Assets: |
| |
US$341 million (at year-end 2003) |
| Sales: |
| |
US$360 million (2003) |
| |
|
| Asahi Kasei Chemicals corporate profile |
| Head office: |
| |
Tokyo, Japan |
| President: |
| |
Taketsugu Fujiwara |
| Paid-in capital |
| |
¥3 billion (as of April 1, 2004) |
| Sales:* |
| |
¥453.7 billion (fiscal year 2003, ended
March 31, 2004) |
| |
|
| |
* Consolidated net sales for Chemicals
segment of Asahi Kasei Corporation from April to September combined with
Asahi Kasei Chemicals sales from October to March. |
|
|
