BASF inaugurates enzyme-based production plant for biocatalyzed acrylamide in Nanjing, China

• Efficient, environmentally friendly production at BASF’s first biocatalyzed acrylamide (BioACM) plant in Asia Pacific
• Focus on reliable and high-quality supply with capacity of more than 50,000 tons per year

Ludwigshafen, Germany and Nanjing, China – October 23, 2017 – Today, BASF celebrated the opening of a new state-of-the-art production plant for biocatalyzed acrylamide at its site in Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park, Nanjing, China.

With this investment in its wholly-owned BioACM plant in Nanjing, BASF is strengthening its production set-up for reliable and high-quality supply of polyacrylamide to customers in Asia Pacific, especially in China. The plant has a capacity of more than 50,000 tons of biocatalyzed acrylamide per year.

Acrylamide is used in the production of water-soluble flocculation aids that make wastewater treatment and papermaking, as well as mineral processing and enhanced oil recovery, more efficient and less resource-intensive. This new plant further strengthens BASF’s position in the region and will help expand cost-competitive supply to meet the growing demand of these water-intensive industries.

BASF has been producing biocatalyzed acrylamide in Suffolk, USA, since 2014 and started operations at its European BioACM plant in Bradford, England, in 2016. With this successful start-up in China, BASF now has three state-of-the-art production facilities located in key markets worldwide.

“The completion of the BioACM plant in Nanjing is an important milestone. The construction of a new polyacrylamide production line is currently underway and is expected to go on stream in 2018. With investments into upstream and downstream plants, we continue to strengthen our position as a leading partner for the paper and water treatment industries,” explained Andreas Tuerk, Senior Vice President Paper and Water Chemicals from BASF.

The enzyme-based biocatalytic production method results in less waste than conventional high-pressure, energy-intensive copper catalysis. The process takes place at room temperature and under normal atmospheric conditions, resulting in energy savings and greater environmental compatibility. It also generates fewer by-products.

“The BioACM plant at Nanjing is built according to BASF’s high global standards of safety and environmental protection. BASF provides training to employees and safety experts to ensure the same high safety standards as in all other production facilities,” said Bradley Morrison, Senior Vice President, Operations and Site Management Greater China.

For more information, see https://www.basf.com/bioacrylamide

About BASF Paper and Water Chemicals

BASF offers a comprehensive and customer-centric range of chemicals for the paper and water industry. Our paper chemicals portfolio comprises dry strength agents, fixing agents, retention and drainage aids, deaerators, flocculants and coagulants for water management. Furthermore, we offer basic dyes, direct dyes, sizing agents, pigment preparations, wet strength agents and color developers for thermal paper. The water chemicals portfolio includes products used in the key processes of industrial and municipal water treatment. We are a leading supplier of chemicals to purify the raw water used for the production of drinking water, to treat waste water stream and industrial process water, to protect cooling towers, boilers and desalination plants. We are fully committed to the future topic water.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS).

Source

BASF, press release, 2017-10-23.

Supplier

BASF Corporation (US)
BASF Paper Chemicals

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