BASF Launches New R&D Center for Advancements in Refinery Catalysts

Innovation BASF Launches New R&D Center for Advancements in Refinery Catalysts

2026-05-19 Source: Press release BASF 2 min Reading Time

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Co-located at BASF’s largest refinery catalyst production site globally, in Attapulgus, Georgia, the company has launched a new R&D center for advancements in refinery catalysts. Product development and advanced Fluid Catalytic Cracking testing are at the core of the laboratory’s work.

The BASF Refinery Catalysts team celebrates the ribbon cutting of the new R&D Center at the Attapulgus, Georgia, site. (Source: BASF) — The BASF Refinery Catalysts team celebrates the ribbon cutting of the new R&D Center at the Attapulgus, Georgia, site.
(Source: BASF)

Georgia/USA – BASF has opened a new, state-of-the-art research and development center for advancements in refinery catalysts. The facility is strategically co-located at BASF’s largest refinery catalyst production site globally, in Attapulgus, Georgia.

The proximity will allow for greater collaboration between R&D, process engineering, and operations teams ensuring that the innovations developed are not only performing in the lab but can be scaled up quickly. With faster innovation cycles and robust production testing, the refinery catalysts team will be able to bring advanced catalyst solutions to market more efficiently. The R&D center also serves as a central hub for operational and analytical excellence, anchored by modern quality assurance and quality control labs.

Product development and advanced Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) testing are at the core of the laboratory’s work and position BASF technologies as a critical enabler of refinery performance, improving process efficiency, product yields, and overall profitability. By locating R&D at a production site, BASF is closer to real-world manufacturing operations conditions and end-use requirements, allowing for greater customization of solutions in close collaboration with customers.

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"We are grateful for the dedication and expertise of our refinery catalyst team, and our broader engineering and R&D community, whose relentless commitment to best-in-class innovation has made this new R&D center a reality,” said Marius Vaarkamp, Global R&D Director Refinery Catalysts at BASF. “As an extension of BASF’s R&D Verbund, Attapulgus will harness world-class knowledge and capabilities, paired with advanced digital tools, to address the needs of the global customer base of BASF’s refinery catalysts business. The proximity of the R&D Center to our operational teams will ensure that we continue to deliver solutions that drive refinery performance and create lasting value for our partners globally."

FCC is a core refinery process that uses a catalyst and heat to convert heavy oil and alternative feedstocks into lighter, high-value products such as gasoline, LPG and olefins. The technology efficiently uses existing refinery assets while enabling lower-carbon, circular feedstocks and improved energy efficiency.

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