Asahi Glass to Make Fluorinated Resin in Britain

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Asahi Glass Co. said Thursday that it will build a plant in Britain to produce fluorinated resin used mainly as an insulating material for electric cables.

The plant will be constructed within the site of its Thornton- Cleveleys, Lancashire-based affiliate, Asahi Glass Fluoropolymers U.K. Ltd., at a cost of 3 billion yen. The resin is also used for films for greenhouses.

Construction will start in January 2006, with the plant seen to come into operation a year later.

Asahi Glass currently produces the resin at two domestic plants and has a global market share of over 50 pct.

After the completion of the new plant, its production capacity for the resin will increase about 20 pct, Asahi Glass officials said.

In Europe, the resin has been increasingly used for automobile parts and as construction materials, according to the officials.

Asahi Glass will also set up a technical support center at the British affiliate to strengthen its local marketing activities for the resin.END