MHI secures FEED contract for hydrogen fluoride plant in Kitakyushu City

September 4, 2023, by Aida Čučuk

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has received an order for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) of a hydrogen fluoride production plant, including utility facilities, in Hibikinada Oceanfront Industrial Park in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

The order came from Mexichem Fluor Japan, the Japanese entity of Mexichem Fluor, S.A.de C.V. (Koura), an Orbia business involved in raw fluorinated materials and the production of fluorine compounds.

The project is a joint venture between Mexichem Fluor Japan and Sojitz Corporation, a general trading company. MHI said that hydrogen fluoride will be produced from Mexican fluorspar from Koura.

Fluorine compounds made from hydrogen fluoride are an essential component in semiconductor production and lithium-ion batteries, MHI noted, adding that they are also used for industrial purposes, including medicine and digital communication.

Currently, Japanese industries are dependent on imports for fluorine raw materials, and according to MHI, this project is expected to help strengthen Japan’s domestic supply chain and enable the reliable growth of domestic industries for fluorinated products.

To note, this project was selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s “Program for promoting investment in Japan to strengthen supply chains” (round 3).

MHI Group emphasized that it will continue to build a presence in the chemical production plant market, both domestically and overseas, as well as working on initiatives and supplying products that meet the needs of the current era and society to contribute to the development of global industries and the building of a sustainable society.