BASF to build 300,000 MT TDI
production plant in
Ludwigshafen
BASF has plans to build a single-train
300,000 metric tons per year production
plant for TDI (toluene diisocyanate) and
expand additional plants for its precursors
at its site in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
These include the construction of a new
hydrogen chloride recycling plant as well
as the expansion of plants for nitric acid,
chlorine and synthesis gas. It is also
planned to expand the aromatics complex
at the site for the supply of toluene. Total
investment including the required infrastructure at Ludwigshafen site will be approximately €1 billion and create
approximately 200 additional jobs.
Production will start at the end of
2014. BASF plans to close down its
80,000 metric tons per year TDI production plant in Schwarzheide, Germany,
when the new plant goes on stream. TDI
is a key component mainly used for flexible polyurethane foams.
“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
T. 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 mate-
rial 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.”
At Schwarzheide, BASF will develop its
site structures according to the future needs
over the next years to focus more on spe-
cialties. With the investment BASF will have
two strong sites in Europe for polyurethane
basic products: Ludwigshafen for the pro-
duction of TDI and Antwerp for the pro-
duction of MDI (diphenylmethane
diisocyanate) and propylene oxide.
plier AVR. These agreements give a green
light to begin construction of a steam grid
in the Rotterdam Botlek, which encom-passes the region around the harbor. Many
companies operate in the Botlek because of
its strategic access to Rotterdam, the largest
port in Europe. Emerald Kalama Chemical
is the first steam consumer to sign on to the
steam grid.
“This project is aligned with the philos-
ophy of our company and our commitment
to reduce the impact of our operations on
the environment,” said Brian Denison, vice
president of operations for Emerald
Kalama Chemical. “In less than a decade,
investments in operations have reduced our
key emissions by more than 65 percent and
reduced our consumption of fossil fuel-
based utilities at Rotterdam and Kalama,
Washington, United States.”
mixers, as well as pressure ves-
sels, tanks and other fabricated
equipment. Fully supported by
U.S.-based Ross engineers, RPE
designs and builds Ross equipment based
on standardized technology and quality
control measures.
Lanxess invests € 20 million in
aromatics network
Specialty chemicals company, Lanxess is
investing in a € 20 million expansion of
cresol production at its Leverkusen, Germany site. It plans to increase capacity for
this intermediate for the global market by
roughly 20% by mid-2013. Among other
applications, cresols are used in the manufacture of vitamin E, resins and flame retardants and in the agrochemicals sector.
Ross moves into new plant in
India
Charles Ross and Son Company has relocated Ross Process Equipment (RPE) into
a new state-of-the-art plant in Pune, India
tripling the size of its previous facility.
RPE manufactures many Ross product
lines including tumble blenders, ribbon
blenders, planetary mixers, multi-shaft
mixers, high-speed dispersers, high shear
Integration of hanse chemie
Inc., USA into Evonik
Goldschmidt Corporation
The U.S.-based hanse chemie business of
hanse chemie AG and nanoresins AG,
have been merged into Evonik Goldschmidt Corporation. At the same time,
hanse chemie Inc., USA has been dissolved
as a legal entity.
The acquisition of hanse chemie AG and
nanoresins AG by Evonik was finalized on
May 12, 2011. Both companies are headquartered in Germany and produce raw
materials and components for the manufacture of sealants, adhesives, molding and
casting compounds, and other products.
The greatest share of hanse chemie Inc.
business is incorporated into the interface
and performance business line of Evonik
whose activities surrounding the silicone
specialties are directed at a variety of industrial markets.
Activities in the paint and coatings industry, especially those concerning
nanocomposites, extremely fine-particle
silicas, are now part of the coatings and
additives business unit of Evonik. CW
Emerald Kalama Chemical to
participate in energy
cooperative project
Emerald Kalama Chemical BV, a division of
Emerald Performance Materials, has signed
15-year agreements with both Rotterdam-based grid manager Stedin and energy sup-
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