With several downstream plants now operational, the new capacities will enhance BASF’s ability to meet growing market demand in China and the wider Asia-Pacific region, serving customers across multiple industries, including paints and coatings.
BASF has commenced production of the first products from the core of its Zhanjiang Verbund site in South China, marking a major milestone in the company’s largest single investment project to date.
“The extraordinary progress at our Zhanjiang Verbund site represents a major step forward in BASF’s local-for-local production approach. In the mid to long term, the Zhanjiang Verbund site will play a pivotal role in strengthening BASF’s core businesses and driving sustainable growth across key markets,” has stated Markus Kamieth, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE.
“This remarkable achievement of our team is a strong testament to BASF’s strategy to strengthen our presence in Asia and support our customers on their path toward sustainability. It reflects our long-term commitment to invest where our customers are and to grow together with the region,” has said Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors and Chief Technology Officer, BASF SE, who oversees BASF’s Asia-Pacific region.
“By leveraging the latest technologies and applying the highest safety standards, our Zhanjiang Verbund site is strategically positioned to deliver high-quality, low-carbon-footprint chemical products to rapidly growing markets. The successful production of the first products from the core of the Verbund lays a solid foundation for the site’s startup as of the end of 2025,” has added Haryono Lim, President, Mega Projects Asia, BASF.
Announced in July 2018, the Zhanjiang Verbund site will be operated solely by BASF. Construction of the first plants began in 2020, and in July 2022 the company made the final investment decision for the site’s main construction phase. This includes the core of the Verbund, featuring a steam cracker with a capacity of one million metric tonnes of ethylene per year, alongside several downstream plants producing petrochemicals, intermediates and other products.