Capacity Utilization Statistics for the Pure Benzene Industry Chain (20260522-0528)

Petroleum benzene output stood at 395,300 tons, up 3,900 tons (1.00%) period-on-period, with capacity utilization at 65.82%, up 0.01 percentage points from the previous period. During this period, the Qingdao Lidong unit restarted, while several other enterprises adjusted their operating loads. With the commissioning of a toluene-to-benzene unit in Shandong, total petroleum benzene capacity was revised to 28.571 million tons.

The domestic operating rate of benzene hydrogenation units was 67.78%, down 1.06 percentage points week on week. China's weekly output of hydrogenated benzene totaled 89,900 tons, down 1,400 tons from the previous week. During the week, units at Shandong Hengxin, Shandong Laigang, and Zhanhua Yukai were restarted, while Henan Jinyuan and Tangshan Dimu units were taken off line.

This week, capacity utilization of the major downstream products styrene and aniline declined from the previous period, while utilization rates for caprolactam and adipic acid increased, and phenol utilization remained stable. In the styrene segment, apart from the maintenance units already counted last week, the LyondellBasell Zhenhai unit entered its planned maintenance phase during the week. Meanwhile, the Shandong Yulong unit returned to service. As the volume lost to maintenance broadly offset the incremental output from the returning unit, and most other units ran steadily, overall supply advanced only slightly, with styrene output and capacity utilization edging up. In the phenol/acetone segment, Moywei Chemical (Shanghai) and Wanhua Chemical units restarted, while a few other units saw slightly reduced loads, keeping industry-wide operating rates within a narrow range. In the aniline segment, Jinling's 260,000-ton unit returned to normal operation; Shanxi Tianji adjusted loads several times and is currently running on a single train; and Jiangsu Fuqiang's unit remained shut down. Caprolactam and adipic acid units underwent normal operating fluctuations.