BASF opens its ffith and largest so far construction chemicals plant in Asia at Nellore, India (Andhra Pradesh, South-East India). The new facility shall support regional customers with high-performance construction materials, the company explained.

The shale gas bonanza in the US is inundating European and especially German industrial plant manufacturers with new projects. But the challenges associated with increasing project size affect not only EPC suppliers but also owner engineers at chemical companies.

Succinity, the joint venture between Corbion Purac and BASF for the production and commercialization of biobased succinic acid, has announced the successful start-up of its first commercial production facility.

The efficiency champion takes the price! Dry compressing screw vacuum pumps with a particularly high degree of efficiency in the chemical production are challenging liquid ring pumps. At first sight, it seems clear which principle leads the way. However, this may be delusional.

BASF invests in another production plant for specialty zeolites at its Ludwigshafen, Germany, headquarters site. The new plant will double the company’s global specialty zeolites production capacity.

BASF plans to begin production of 1,4-butanediol based on renewable feedstock (renewable BDO) using the patented process of Genomatica, San Diego/California. The one-step fermentation process is based on sugars as a renewable feedstock.

Solvay announced that BASF agreed to acquire its Polyamides business for € 1.6 billion (approx. $ 1.92 billion).

BASF and Sinopec are considering the extension of their Nanjing joint venture BASF-YPC Company Limited with the expansion of existing ethylene oxide (EO) production, and a new plant for neopentylglycol (NPG). BASF-YPC will further expand its acrylic acid value chain with additional acrylic acid and butyl acrylate plants. Production is expected to commence in 2014.

Site visit in Leverkusen, Germany: The foundation is being put in place for a third revolutionary production methodology in the process industry to take its place along side of continuous and batch production. European producers are joining forces to ensure that they stay one step ahead in the technology race, and an initial demonstration line has been constructed at the purpose-built research centre.

From September 25th-29th, 2011, Berlin is the focal point of European process engineering and biotechnology. More than 3,000 participants from Europe and beyond are expected for the 8th European Congress of Chemical Engineering and the 1st European Congress of Applied Biotechnology.