MOSCOW (MRC) -- With the goal of helping overcome current and future bottlenecks for hand sanitizer resulting from a significant increase in demand, BASF has started production of hand sanitizers in Canada, said the producer in its press release.
This safe and high-quality sanitizing product manufactured at BASF’s Windsor facility, will be donated to hospitals, care facilities and other institutions in areas of high need, identified in collaboration with the provincial governments of Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.
Between the amount of hand sanitizer produced in Canada and imported from BASF’s Wyandotte, Michigan facility, the company expects to donate more than 10,000 liters over the next few days and will assess future production and supply in the near term.
"The novel coronavirus outbreak has had a tremendous impact to our society. At BASF Canada, we have considered how our businesses and local footprint could positively respond to these challenges and support those who are particularly in need now and in the immediate future: healthcare facilities and essential service professionals," said Marcelo Lu, President of BASF Canada. "I am extremely proud of our Canadian colleagues for their fast response to the crisis. They worked diligently and in close collaboration with Health Canada, other government departments and our supplying partners to obtain approvals and pivot our production to hand sanitizers. We thank both federal and provincial government’s rapid response in collaborating with industry as we work together to provide solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic and supply shortages."
BASF’s Windsor site, where the hand sanitizer is being produced, is a key coatings supplier in several automotive OEM and refinish applications. "Given the slower demand from the automotive sector, we were happy to adjust and contribute to the fight against COVID-19,” said Jeff Klevering, Site Director for the Windsor facility. “We have an amazing team who wanted to rally around this cause and generate a positive impact."
In the past days, BASF Canada has also donated other key supplies to the healthcare sector across Canada such as disinfectants, hand soap, masks, gloves and protective suits.
Another area where BASF Canada is contributing, both directly and indirectly, is the country’s food supply. BASF has a strong presence in the agricultural sector in Canada and is working closely with farmers to ensure they have the tools they need to produce a healthy, sustainable crop this season. Moreover, BASF Canada’s Agricultural Solutions team has launched a virtual food drive in partnership with Food Banks Canada to help maintain Canadian’s access to healthy, safe food during this time. For every dollar employees raise, BASF will match up to a combined total of $100,000.
Globally, BASF Group currently supplies around 175,000 liters of hand sanitizer weekly free of charge and has recently donated over 100 million protective masks.
As MRC reported previously, BASF said in late April it will not be able to meet full-year sales and earnings guidance issued on 28 February and withdrew its outlook in advance of its first-quarter earnings report.
We remind that BASF has restarted its No. 1 steam cracker following a maintenance turnaorund. Thus, the company resumed operations at the plant on September 30, 2019. The plant was shut for maintenance in mid-August, 2019. Located at Ludwigshafen in Germany, the No. 1 cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 235,000 mt/year and a propylene production capacity of 125,000 mt/year.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing PE and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 383,760 tonnes in the first two month of 2020, up by 14% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased due to the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 192,760 tonnes in January-February 2020, down by 6% year on year. Homopolymer PP accounted for the main decrease in imports.
BASF Canada, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, has over 1,200 employees at production facilities and offices located across Canada. BASF Canada is a subsidiary of BASF SE, and an affiliate of BASF Corporation.
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. BASF generated sales of EUR59 billion in 2019.
MRC