BASF has reached a major construction milestone at its Zhanjiang Verbund site in China, with the successful mechanical completion of the first batch of plants in the acrylics complex, including the glacial acrylic acid (GAA) and butyl acrylate (BA) plants.
Acrylic acid is an important precursor for the production of superabsorbent polymers. Butyl acrylate, an ester of acrylic acid, is widely used in the production of adhesives, architectural coatings, and industrial coatings.
The site, scheduled to start up in 2025, is the company’s largest investment to date, with around €10 billion upon completion. It will be operated under the sole responsibility of BASF and will be the company’s third-largest Verbund site worldwide, following Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Antwerp, Belgium.
“The acrylics business has been a cornerstone of BASF Petrochemicals. With the completion of the new acrylics complex in Zhanjiang, we are further enhancing our production capacities along the acrylics value chain,” said Bir Darbar Mehta, senior vice president of Petrochemicals Asia Pacific at BASF. “These new world-scale production facilities will allow us to meet the fast-growing demand for acrylics in China and across Asia with a reliable supply of high-quality, competitive products and shorter lead times.”