28 July 2023.

Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI) on 28 July staged a groundbreaking ceremony for a 120 kilotons per annum (ktpa) plant to produce its Tafmer polyolefin elastomers in Singapore. The project on Jurong Island, is being led by the group's Singapore-based subsidiary Mitsui Elastomers Singapore Pte Ltd (MELS), said MCI's 1 Aug announcement.

Scheduled for completion in fiscal 2024, the new unit will bring total production capacity for Tafmer to 345ktpa, the Japanese petrochemicals producer has previously stated. MCI last year revealed goals to increase investment in its Tafmer business under its Vision 2030 plan, focused on high value-added and sustainability-oriented products.

Tafmer olefinic copolymers are used in applications, including automotive materials, packaging materials, engineering plastics modifiers and sports shoe mid-soles. The Tokyo-based group has also cited growing use of the elastomers as solar battery encapsulants as a particular growth driver for the business.