By Plasteurope.com correspondent 

To satisfy the “rapidly growing demand” for advanced additives in Asia and beyond, BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) has embarked on an upgrade of production capability at its integrated site in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

At the heart of the investment plans is a new state-of-the-art facility for the German group’s high-performance Controlled Free Radical Polymerisation (CFRP) dispersants, which is scheduled to start up in 2025 using a proprietary technology the group describes as “unique”.

Built to comply with “high environmental standards”, the new line will have lower CO₂ emissions, BASF said. Touting the benefits of the CFRP technology, Sylvain Huguenard, vice president, global business management additives, said BASF’s strong pigment affinity and excellent flocculation resistance has enabled a well-defined polymer structure. 

The fresh investment at Nanjing will further strengthen the chemical giant’s local production footprint in China, the world’s largest and fastest-growing chemical market, said Jeffrey Lou, president and chairman of BASF Greater China. 

Related: BASF’s Q1 2024 earnings fall, but beat market consensus

According to Lou, BASF’s long-term commitment to the coatings industry has been the driver for its continuous expansion of the Nanjing site, which he said is now a powerhouse for its additives business in China and the Asia-Pacific region, seamlessly integrating manufacturing, technical service, and R&D. 

Present in China since 1865, BASF has invested heavily in the People’s Republic over the past two decades and is now among its biggest foreign players. For 2023, it reported sales of EUR 9.4 bn to customers in Greater China and employed 12,115 people in the region.