BASF and Sinopec to expand Nanjing site

BASF AG and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp.) have signed a USD 500 million agreement to expand their joint chemical Verbund site in Nanjing. Following last year’s start-up, BASF-YPC Co. Ltd. – the 50:50 joint venture between BASF and Sinopec – plans to extend its joint operations by expanding the capacity of its steam cracker and investing in additional downstream plants. Major points are:

• Expansion of steam cracker from 600,000 to around 750,000 metric tons of ethylene per year;
• Expansion of the ethylene oxide plant and development of EO derivatives to strengthen the ethylene value chain producing non ionic surfactants for detergents and the solvent butylglycol ether;
• Development of the C4-value chain including C4-specialties: Butadiene and isobutene as chemical raw materials, 2-propylheptanol for a new generation plasticiser and polyisobutene derivatives as fuel and lubricant additives;
• Extension of the acrylics value chain to produce super absorbent polymers (SAP)
• for hygiene and industrial applications.

The new activities are expected to come on stream in 2009.