(BASF) -- BASF will substantially expand the production plant for the insulation material Styrodur C at the Ludwigshafen site in Germany. This will increase the production capacity of the extruded polystyrene rigid foam panels (XPS) from the current 1.3 million m by an additional 220,000 m. In the extended plant the new XPS types Styrodur Neo and Styrodur HT can be manufactured along with standard products. Operation will start at the end of 2011.
The plant extension is incorporated into the existing production structure, but will have a more elaborate configuration and will operate using an optimized method. This will allow a well-directed setting of specific panel properties. Thus, security of supply and quality consistency for BASF customers is increased.
With Styrodur C, BASF is among the leading providers of XPS insulation in Europe. The European XPS market is currently growing by 3 to 5 percent per annum, driven by rising energy prices and legal regulations on thermal insulation in new and old buildings.