BASF in Euro150m expansion of EB, styrene capacity
29 March 2000 12:35 [Source: ICIS news]
LONDON (CNI)--German chemicals giant BASF announced on Wednesday plans to spend more than Euro150m ($146m) to increase ethylbenzene (EB) and styrene capacities at Ludwigshafen, Germany and expand EB capacity at Antwerp, Belgium.
The EB upgrade at Ludwigshafen will boost capacity from 450 000 tonne/year to 600 000 tonne/year, while annual capacity at Antwerp will be raised from 530 000 tonne to 890 000 tonne. Both plants will be converted to the zeolite process and will employ the latest catalyst technology, said BASF.
It plans to complete the Antwerp plant expansion by late 2001 and finish the Ludwigshafen upgrade by mid-2002.
BASF also has a mid-2002 completion target for the new styrene plant it plans to build at Ludwigshafen. The 550 000 tonne/year capacity facility will replace the existing, 30-year-old plant which has an annual capacity of 525 000 tonne. BASF said the new plant has been designed to meet future demand for styrene at Ludwigshafen and will take full advantage of the benefits of integrated production at the Verbund site.
No breakdown of investment was available between the Ludwigshafen and Antwerp sites.
BASF said the expenditure reflected its strategy of optimising EB and styrene production plants in Europe while ensuring it can meet its styrene needs through cost-efficient worldscale facilities that employ the latest technology.
It said this strategy is reflected at Moerdijk in The Netherlands where its Basell joint venture with Shell has built a new styrene and propylene oxide (PO) plant. The unit, which came onstream last October, has an annual production capacity of 550 000 tonne of styrene and 250 000 tonne of PO.
By: Neil Sinclair
+44 20 8652 3214
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