Fortrec's joint venture organic-solvent facility starts up

Jiangsu Hualun-Fortrec Chemical Industry, a joint venture in China of Singapore-based trading company Fortrec Chemicals and Petroleum and Jiangsu Hualun Chemical Industry has started operating an 80,000-ton per year facility in Jiangsu province to produce high-boiling-point solvents from heavy aromatics. Most of the output will be distributed in China, with the remainder to be exported. Hideo Okamoto, president of Fortrec, said it would supply the necessary heavy aromatics from countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Thailand, and possibly source some of the raw materials from domestic producers. (June 17, 2010)