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MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has announced
that the implementation of the methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) capacity
increase programme for production facilities at its Verbund site in Geismar, LA,
USA, is progressing on schedule, according to GV.
Over time, the company
targets to double the capacity from 300,000 t/y to approximately 600,000 t/y.
BASF said with this stepwise capacity addition, it will support the ongoing
growth of its North American MDI customers.
The first phase, which is the
construction of a new MDI synthesis unit, is complete and in operation. At the
same time, an older MDI synthesis unit is no longer in service. Although the
instant capacity addition is limited, the new MDI production unit sets the
foundation for future growth through capacity increases of upstream
units.
In the second phase, for which construction is currently ongoing,
BASF will be expanding several upstream units and by doing so, increase MDI
overall output of the Geismar complex by approximately one third. Startup of
this second phase is expected in the second half of 2021. The potential final
phase is targeted to be completed by mid of the decade. It is expected to bring
the MDI capacity to approximately 600,000 t/y.
“The North American MDI
market and our customers remain a key focus and we are pursuing this investment
to support their growth,” said Ramkumar Dhruva, President of BASF’s Monomers
division. “BASF supports customer growth by providing innovative polyurethane
solutions that reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Some examples
include improved insulation for buildings and lightweight materials for the
automotive industry,” Dhruva said.
Stefan Doerr, Head of BASF’s Monomers
business in North America, added: “The Geismar site is ideally suited for this
investment thanks to its existing infrastructure, competitive raw materials and
ongoing strong business support from state and local government. With this
integrated facility, BASF will continue to be a leading MDI supplier in North
America as well as globally.”
As MRC reported earlier,
nn 17 December, 2020, BASF opened its ASEAN Technical Development Center
adjacent to its existing polyurethane (PU) System House at Bangpoo site in
Thailand. The new facility houses a state-of-the-art pre-polymer reactor
technology to produce a hardener (component B) - a key component to boost
product development efficiency, thereby enabling faster time-to-market of PU
materials and solutions.
We remind that
German chemicals maker BASF said in early November it had put a project to build
a petrochemicals complex in India worth up to USD4 billion on hold due to the
economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. BASF signed a memorandum
of understanding with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Adani Group and
Borealis AG in October 2019 to evaluate a collaboration to build the chemical
site in Mundra, in India’s Gujarat state.
Ethylene and propylene are
feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene
(PP).
According to MRC's DataScope report,
PE imports to Russia decreased in January-November 2020 by 17% year on year and
reached 569,900 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the
greatest reduction in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia
increased by 21% year on year to about 202,000 tonnes in the first eleven months
of 2020. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase
in imports.
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. |
