First production facilities in US$1.4 bln expansion of BASF-YPC Co Ltd begin operations

12-Oct-11

The first production facilities in the US$1.4 bln expansion of BASF-YPC Company Limited have now begun operations. Along with the successful completion of the steam cracker expansion, the newly constructed butadiene extraction plant and the non-ionic surfactants plant are now operational. "With this expansion, we are now beginning to realize the true potential of BASF-YPC as a 'Verbund' site - a German term referring to a highly integrated, highly energy efficient production complex. At the same time, the chemicals produced here contribute directly to supporting China's energy efficiency goals as outlined in the 12th Five Year Plan," said Dr. Bernd Blumenberg, President, BASF-YPC Company Limited. These plants are part of a US$1.4 bln investment project which broke ground in September 2009. The project includes the expansion of the existing steam cracker, from 600,000 tpa to 740,000 tpa of ethylene, the expansion of three existing plants, and the construction of ten new plants. The products of this second phase will serve multiple industries such as agriculture, construction, electronics, pharmaceutical, automotive and chemical manufacturing. Bulk of the remaining plants is expected to come on-stream around the end of 2011.