BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) has officially started up its EUR 500m world-scale acrylics complex at Camaçari, Bahia / Brazil – see Plasteurope.com of 25.10.2011. The complex that includes plants for 160,000 t/y of acrylic acid, along with superabsorbent polymers and butyl acrylate, is said to be the first of its kind for the first two products in Latin America. The three Brazilian plants, BASF’s biggest investment in the region, will employ 230 people directly and create an additional 600 indirect jobs.

In 2014, the German chemicals and plastics giant started up plants for acrylic acid and superabsorbers at Nanjing / China in a 50:50 joint venture with Sinopec (Beijing / China; www.sinopec.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 11.04.2014.

"The Camaçari complex will secure national and regional supply of products that are currently imported,” said Ralph Schweens, president of BASF in Latin America. It also will positively impact the local economy by encouraging investment and innovation in the region as well as attracting new companies to the industrial area, he added.

In a separate investment, BASF will convert an existing butyl acrylate plant in Guaratinguetá, near São Paulo, to produce 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. The plant for adhesive and coatings starting materials, scheduled to go on stream in 2016, will be the group’s first plant of this type in South America. Acrylic acid feedstock will be drawn from the new plant at Camaçari.