11 September 2014
Details
Ludwigshafen, Germany and Antwerp, Belgium
BASF today announced the start-up of
a new butadiene extraction plant
at its Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium.
The plant has an annual production capacity
of 155,000 metric tons.
The plant in Antwerp is
BASF’s second butadiene extraction plant in Europe.
BASF already operates a butadiene extraction plant
at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany, with
an annual production capacity of 105,000 metric tons.
With the plant in Antwerp, BASF is more than
doubling its production capacity for butadiene in Europe.
Butadiene
is a raw material that can be used to produce
synthetic rubber, among other applications.
* The tire industry is one of the main consumers of butadiene.
Other applications for butadiene include
* plastics production and
* paper chemicals.
Dr. Uwe Kirchgäßner,
Head of BASF’s regional business unit
Basic Petrochemicals Europe
“This plant secures our internal supply with butadiene
at competitive costs,” said “In addition, it enables us
to take advantage of opportunities on the external market and
strengthens our market position in Europe.”
Wouter de Geest,
CEO of BASF Antwerpen NV.
The butadiene will be extracted from crude C4,
a product from the steam cracker.
“With the new plant we are further developing
the integration of the C4 value chain in Antwerp,”
“This important investment strengthens
the Verbund at the Antwerp site.”
WWW.CHEMWINFO.COM BY KHUN PHICHAI