- The plant will have an annual production capacity of 155,000 metric tons and start up in 2014.
- The investment amount is in the high double-digit million euro range.
- The plant will create about 15 to 20 jobs.
- Butadiene will be extracted from crude C4, a product from the steam cracker.
Project Overview
BASF plans to build a butadiene extraction plant at its Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 155,000 metric tons and is scheduled to start up in 2014. The investment amount is in the high double-digit million euro range.
Market Context
The decision to build the plant comes in response to increasingly tight supplies of butadiene on global markets. Recent years have seen a sharp decline in available butadiene volumes, while demand from the tire industry and other sectors has been rising, leading to significant price increases.
Strategic Benefits
Dr. Uwe Kirchgäßner, head of BASF’s regional business unit Basic Petrochemicals Europe, stated that the plant will secure a competitive supply of butadiene and allow BASF to capitalize on opportunities in the external market, contributing to long-term economic success.
Operational Details
The butadiene will be extracted from crude C4, a byproduct of the steam cracker. Wouter de Geest, CEO of BASF Antwerpen NV, highlighted that the plant will strengthen the Verbund production in Antwerp and improve the integration of the C4 value chain, reducing logistics and traffic needs. The investment will create approximately 15 to 20 jobs.
Existing Operations
BASF already operates a butadiene extraction plant at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany, with an annual production capacity of 105,000 metric tons. Butadiene is a key raw material for producing synthetic rubber, with the tire industry being a major consumer. Other applications include paper chemicals and plastics production.
