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BASF opens new engineering plastics compounding plant

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-05-19 14:27

BASF, a leading international chemical company, celebrated the inauguration of its engineering plastics compounding plant at its Pudong site inShanghaion Friday.

The new facility is a world-scale plant with annual capacity of 45,000 tons. It is one of the most modern compounding plants in the world today, with "the highest environmental standards and the most efficient production capabilities available," according to a BASF official.

"Our strategy is clear: We want to continue expanding our position as one of the leading producers of engineering plastics in the growing markets of Asia and be the preferred business partner for our customers," said Dr Harald Lauke, President of BASF's Performance Polymers division.

"With this new compounding plant we show our solid commitment to our customers in China and Asia Pacific. We gain flexibility to better serve our customers by reacting more rapidly to their needs and by ensuring a stable supply at short lead times close to the point of consumption."

In the next 10 years, the Asia Pacific market for engineering plastics is expected to grow on average by about seven percent per year. In China this growth is expected to be higher.

"We have ambitious targets in Asia Pacific: by 2010, we aim to achieve 20 percent of our group sales and earnings in the chemicals business in Asia Pacific; 70 percent of those sales are to come from local production," said Dr Martin Brudermueller, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF Aktiengesellschaft, responsible for Asia. "This new plant will make a powerful contribution to these targets," he added.

Alongside this new plant in Shanghai, BASF has similar compounding facilities in Malaysia and Korea, which are part of BASF's global network of engineering plastics and compounding plants. This network covers other countries in Europe, North and Central America. With the new plant, BASF's total compounding capacity in Asia exceeds 100,000 tons per annum.