Industrial Minerals


Calcium carbonate plants closed amid Japan tsunami impact

18 March 2011

by Mark Watts

Plants on north-east coast damaged as earthquake takes its toll on paper minerals

Keywords: calcium carbonate, paper, Fimatec, Imerys, earthquake, tsunami, kaolin

Several calcium carbonate plants were included in the widespread damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami that struck northern Japan on 11 March.The 9.0 magnitude quake triggered a tsunami that devastated the coast of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures, killing thousands and destroying industry and infrastructure.Tokyo-based Fimatec Ltd said its 5,000 tpm (60,000 tpa) calcium carbonate plant in Soma, Fukushima, has been taken offline due to the severe...