.TDI production will supply customers across Europe
•Competitiveness of Ludwigshafen site strengthened
•Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Minister-President Malu Dreyer inaugurate the plant with Chairman Kurt Bock

November 17, 2015 – BASF today officially inaugurated the new TDI (toluene diisocyanate) plant at its Ludwigshafen site. The plant has an annual capacity of 300,000 metric tons of TDI. The total investment, including precursors, is over €1 billion. This is the largest investment ever made at the site and will create around 200 new jobs.

Guests at the inauguration ceremony included Sigmar Gabriel, Vice-Chancellor of Germany and Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy, and Malu Dreyer, Minister-President of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. “I am pleased to be at today’s inauguration of the TDI plant and congratulate BASF on this forward-looking project. BASF is undertaking an innovative step with the start-up of the new TDI plant and, at the same time, making a commitment to Ludwigshafen as a location for industry. It is also an important building block in maintaining Germany’s industrial basis,” said Sigmar Gabriel at the official opening.

In her welcoming address, Minister-President Malu Dreyer underlined the importance of this investment for the region: “BASF is the largest company in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and makes a decisive contribution to our region’s economy. A billion-euro investment and 200 new jobs are important economic signals that extend beyond Ludwigshafen. With the new TDI plant, BASF also once again proves that it stands for state-of-the-art German technology.”

Dr. Kurt Bock, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE, said: “The knowledge contributed to this project by BASF employees from around the world and the outstanding integration into our BASF Verbund make this plant one of the most modern and competitive facilities in the world. This enables us to serve our customers in Europe even better.” Bock thanked everyone who worked on the project – employees, partners and the public authorities – for their smooth cooperation.

The TDI complex comprises plant components that produce DNT (dinitrotoluene), TDA (toluylendiamine) and TDI (toluene diisocyanate). Furthermore, the project involved the updating and expansion of production facilities for key precursors in the Verbund. In addition, BASF made investments in the infrastructure that supplies steam, electricity and water.

TDI is a core component for polyurethanes. It is often used in the furniture industry (elastic foams for mattresses, cushions or wood coating) and the automotive industry (seat cushions). BASF operates TDI plants in Yeosu, South Korea; Caojing, China; and Geismar, Louisiana, which have a combined capacity of 480,000 metric tons. The plant in Schwarzheide, Germany, will gradually be taken out of operation once the plant in Ludwigshafen starts up.

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, 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 over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 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