BASF to build new TDI plant, other units in Ludwigshafen

14 February 2012 07:06  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--BASF will build a 300,000 tonne/year toluene di-isocyanate (TDI) plant and expand additional units at its Ludwigshafen site in Germany, with investment of about €1bn, the German chemicals major said on Tuesday.

BASF plans to start up the TDI plant at the end of 2014. Its existing 80,000 tonne/year TDI plant in Schwarzheide, Germany, will be shut when the new plant in Ludwigshafen goes on stream, the company said.

The company plans to develop its Schwarzheide site to focus on more specialty products, it said.

BASF will also build a hydrogen chloride recycling plant in Ludwigshafen and expand the toluene capacity of its aromatics complex at the site, the company said without elaborating further.

Its nitric acid, chlorine and synthesis gas facilities at Ludwigshafen will also be expanded, the company said without providing details.

“This project will position us as the low-cost TDI producer in Europe due to economies of scale and the highly efficient integration into our Verbund,” said Wayne Smith, president of BASF’s polyurethanes division.

“Building our new TDI plant at our largest Verbund site in Ludwigshafen gives us the advantage of the excellent production synergies, raw material integration and logistics. Together with our existing TDI sites in Asia and North America we will be able to optimally serve customers in all major markets,” he said.

With the investment, BASF will have two sites in Europe for polyurethane basic products: Ludwigshafen for the production of TDI, and Antwerp for the production of methyl di-p phenylene isocyanate (MDI) and propylene oxide.

TDI is a key component mainly used for flexible polyurethane foams.

BASF is a leading supplier of basic products for polyurethanes and is currently operating TDI plants in Geismar, Louisiana; Yeosu, Korea; Caojing, China and Schwarzheide, Germany.

By: Dolly Wu
+65 6780 4359

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