MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF is expanding its mobile emissions catalysts production capacity in Chennai, India, the company said in its statement.
Construction of a new 47,000 square meter facility will begin in December 2013, enhancing the company’s existing emissions catalysts operation in Chennai with new production lines and manufacturing capabilities.
Start-up is planned in the first quarter of 2015.
Upon project completion, a total of nine manufacturing lines will be housed in the new operating site, producing light duty, heavy duty and motorcycle emissions control catalysts to meet growing market demand and customer technology needs. Once operating at full capacity, the site is expected to employ approximately 300 people.
"BASF is investing to more than double our manufacturing capacity in India to help customers meet these emerging needs. At the same time, this expansion project will allow us to establish Chennai as our regional production hub to serve the fast-growing motorcycle manufacturing markets in India and ASEAN," said Anup Kothari, vice president of BASF's mobile emissions catalysts business in the Asia-Pacific region.
"In the past, BASF has successfully delivered advanced emissions control catalysts for cars, trucks and motorcycles to customers in India and throughout South Asia. The expansion project further demonstrates our strong commitment to achieving ambitious growth in the region, and our focus on delivering effective solutions to leading OEMs to prepare them for future challenges."
As MRC wrote previously, as part of BASF's major innovation investment in China, the company opened the first Innovation Campus Asia Pacific and its new Greater China headquarters at its site in Pudong, Shanghai in November 2013. The investment amounts to EUR 55 million. With this expansion the company's site will be one of BASF's largest outside of Germany. The further expansion of the facility is also planned.
BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products, including advanced battery materials.
BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
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