BASF starts up Nanjing complex
18 Aug 2005
The first parts of the plant to enter commercial production were the steamcracker, a 600 000tpa unit producing both ethylene and propylene, and nine downstream plants. Operating on the Verbund principle used at BASF’s other major complexes, the plants are tightly integrated with each other, with products and by-products from one plant used as raw materials in another, and energy usage shared between the many operations on-site.
The plant represents the largest single investment in BASF’s 140-year history, and has proceeded remarkably smoothly. The first groundbreaking at
BASF has bought Huntsman’s toluene diisocyanate (TDI) business for an undisclosed sum, with Huntsman’s customer list and sales contracts, but not manufacturing operations or personnel, transferring to BASF. Huntsman’s customers will be supplied from BASF’s TDI facilities in
BASF has completed the acquisiton of the Swiss fine chemicals company Orgamol, with the company’s staff agreeing to sell their 25% stake to the German firm. The majority 75% stake, which was privately held, was bought in June. Orgamol specialises in contract manufacture of pharmaceutical ingredients; the deal puts BASF in the top 10 worldwide for this business.