Tosoh investing €450m in chloroprene rubber capacity expansion

Tokyo, Japan – Tosoh Corp. has announced plans to increase the production capacity of chloroprene rubber (CR) in Japan, in response to increasing global demand for the material.

As part of the decision, the group will invest Yen75 billion (€450 million) in the construction of a second CR production facility at its Nanyo Complex in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, southern Japan.

Construction work is set to start in spring 2027 and commercial operation scheduled for spring 2030, Tosoh announced 12 June.

With the new plant, the Japanese group is expanding production capacity for its Skyprene-branded CR by 22 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa).

According to Tosoh, CR is a high-performance functional polymer that serves as a value-added material within Tosoh’s chemical chain business.

It is used in a wide variety of applications, including automotive hoses and belts, various industrial components, adhesives, and medical gloves.

Tosoh said the investment will not only supporting growing demand but will also “stabilise” the supply of CR and improve the group’s profitability.

Tosoh manufactures chloroprene rubber only at its site in Nanyo, Japan.

In 2019, the Japanese supplier started a two-year debottlenecking project to raise capacity of the plant by 3 ktpa to 37ktpa.