Two new BASF manufacturing plants in Shanghai

The polyacrylate polymers plant will have a minimum capacity of 30,000 metric tons per year, while the plant for speciality chemicals for leather tanning will have a minimum annual capacity of 12,000 metric tons of products in liquid or powder form. A spray dryer with a capacity of 10,000 metric tons per year is part of the investment. The new plants will be located next to BASF's existing facilities for polyacrylate polymers and leather chemicals in Pudong. The speciality chemicals for leather tanning carry the trademarks Basyntan, Relugan and Tamol. BASF also inaugurated their polyisocyanate plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park in Caojing, which will supply raw materials used in the manufacture of automotive, industrial and wood paints to the entire Asia Pacific market. 'Our investments in performance chemicals products at Caojing and Pudong will further strengthen our close partnership with our customers especially in Asia Pacific', said Patrick Prévost, president of BASF's Performance Chemicals division. 'By investing in additional local production capacity we will be able to react more flexibly to fast changing market conditions and to supply our customers more reliably with short lead time. 'The chemical market in Asia Pacific is the world's largest and is expected to grow 4-4.5% annually through 2015. Our new manufacturing facilities in Shanghai give us an excellent competitive edge to participate in the rapid growth of the chemical industry in the region', said Dr Wolfgang Hapke, president of market and business development, BASF Asia Pacific. 'We are now moving even closer to our goal of achieving 20% of group sales in the chemicals businesses in Asia Pacific by 2010, with 70% coming from local production.'