BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) broke ground on a new, world-scale automotive coatings plant, at the company’s existing site at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Caojing, Shanghai, China. The new plant represents an investment of around €140 million, and is expected to start operation in the fourth quarter of 2017.
As the latest investment of the joint venture between BASF and Shanghai Huayi Fine Chemical Co., the new plant is an expansion of the automotive coatings plant, which began production in 2014.
“With the expansion, we continue to invest in local production to closer align with China’s automotive industry,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, President and Chairman Greater China, BASF. “As the leading chemical supplier to the automotive industry, BASF takes an active role in developing this rapidly growing business, based on our local production network, innovative power and market knowledge.”
“Our automotive OEM customers in China increasingly look for innovative, eco-efficient coatings solutions to drive sustainability in their processes. Adding world-class manufacturing and R&D capabilities in the country is our contribution to the rapidly evolving expectations of the automotive industry,” said Dr. Markus Kamieth, President, Coatings Solutions, BASF. “This new investment in China is another example of our ongoing growth strategy in this region and in our automotive coatings business.”
“We have been investing in parallel with the growth of the automotive industry, strengthening our presence where our customers are located. Further investment into China reflects our strong commitment to our customers in order to provide faster and more efficient solutions that support their business growth,” said Peter Fischer, Senior Vice President, Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific, BASF.
In addition to this new plant, BASF also operates a production facility for resins and electrocoat at the same location. The close proximity of these plants allows for more synergies and efficiency. All plants are designed in a highly energy-efficient and sustainable manner, offering the potential for future expansion and the flexibility to adapt to new production requirements in the years ahead.