BASF and Sinopec opened two new plants for acrylic acid and superabsorbent polymers at BASF-YPC Verbund site in Nanjing, China

• New superabsorbent polymers, acrylic acid and butyl acrylate plants serve growing demand in China market
• Integrated production enables resource efficiency and energy conservation

Nanjing , China, 16-4-2014 — /EuropaWire/ — BASF and Sinopec today inaugurated two new plants for acrylic acid and superabsorbent polymers (SAP) at their state-of-the-art Verbund site, BASF-YPC Co., Ltd., a 50-50 joint venture in Nanjing, China. Additionally, a new butyl acrylate plant will begin production later this year.

The new plants will further strengthen the C3 (propylene) value chain and serve the growing downstream demand. With an annual capacity of 60,000 metric tons, the new SAP plant will serve growing demand in China for baby diapers, adult incontinence products and feminine care products.

“BASF is investing in Asia Pacific to produce 75% of our Asia Pacific sales locally, in order to ensure faster, more energy-efficient, more reliable supply. With the start-up of these projects, we continue to build on the success of our strong partnership with Sinopec, and reinforce our commitment to serving the hygiene industry in China and Asia as well as around the world,” said Albert Heuser, President, Greater China and Functions Asia Pacific, BASF.

“The start-up of these projects will continuously improve the company’s ability to meet the demands of our customers. It will create new opportunities for sustainability and will make a positive contribution to clean production. It will also enhance industrial development,” said Chang Zhenyong, Vice Chief Engineer, Director of Chemical Department, Sinopec Corporation.

BASF’s “Verbund” system creates efficient value chains that extend from basic chemicals right through to high-value-added products. In addition, the by-products of one plant can be used as the starting materials of another. At the BASF-YPC Verbund site in Nanjing, SAP, butyl acrylate and acrylic acid production will be backward integrated into the manufacturing of C3. This ensures greater supply reliability, energy efficiency, and cost effectiveness, while minimizing energy use and environmental impact.

About BASF-YPC
BASF-YPC Co., Ltd. is a 50-50 joint venture between BASF and Sinopec, founded in 2000, with a total investment of $4.5 billion. The integrated petrochemical site produces 3 million tons of high-quality chemicals and polymers for the Chinese market annually. The products serve the rapid-growing demand in multiple industries including agriculture, construction, electronics, pharmaceutical, automotive and chemical manufacturing.

BASF-YPC Co., Ltd. successfully started commercial production at the first phase of the integrated petrochemical site in 2005 and inaugurated the second phase creating an extended value chain and increasing the production of fine chemicals in January 2012. BASF-YPC further expands its acrylic acid value chain with additional acrylic acid and butyl acrylate plants. Together with the superabsorbent polymer plant, which was put on stream in December 2013, BASF-YPC will enhance its support to home care and hygiene industries as well as coatings, textiles, and construction industries. These plants are interconnected in order to use products, by-products and energy in the most efficient way, to save cost and minimize environmental impact. The site also has a gas-fired power plant and an international port on a tributary of the Yangtze River to ensure optimum energy supply and logistics. BASF-YPC Co., Ltd. posted sales of €2.84 billion in 2013 and employed 1,993 people as of the end of that year.

About SINOPEC
Sinopec is one of the largest integrated energy and chemical companies with upstream, midstream and downstream operations in China. Its principal operations include: the exploration and production, pipeline transportation and sales of petroleum and natural gas; the sales, storage and transportation of petroleum products, petrochemical products, synthetic fiber, fertilizer and other chemical products; import and export, as well as import and export agency business of oil, natural gas, petroleum products, petrochemical and chemical products, and other commodities and technologies; and research, development and application of technologies and information.

Adhering to its corporate mission of enterprise development, contribution to the country, shareholder value creation, social responsibility and employee wellbeing, Sinopec implements strategies of resources, markets, integration, internationalisation, differentiation and green low-carbon development with a view to realize its vision of building a world first class energy and chemical company.

About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

Media contacts

BASF
Jennifer Moore-Braun
Phone: +49 621 60 99123
jennifer.moore-braun@basf.com

Genevieve Hilton
Phone:  +852 2731 0197
Mobile: +(8 52) 9025 9857
genevieve.hilton @basf.co m

SINOPEC
Yan Huirong
Phone: +86 10 5996 9722
hryan@sinopec.com