BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) is building a new world-scale production plant for alkylethanolamines at the Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. After the planned start-up in 2024, the company will increase the global annual production capacity of its alkylethanolamines portfolio containing, amongst others, dimethylethanolamines (DMEOA) and methyldiethanolamines (MDEOA) by nearly 30 percent to more than 140,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr). With a high degree of local backward integration, BASF ensures a reliable and sustainable production of alkylethanolamines. With production facilities for this portfolio at its sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Geismar, Louisiana and Nanjing, China, BASF is one of the world’s leading producers of alkylethanolamines.
The Antwerp Verbund site is directly connected to the North Sea, the Port of Antwerp and the European hinterland. BASF Antwerp is about six square kilometers large and includes around 50 plants, bundled into 15 integrated production clusters. (Source: BASF)
“We see a continuing, growing demand for alkylethanolamines in a broad range of industries such as water treatment, detergents and gas treatment over the next years. The investment in Antwerp will have a positive effect on the available capacity for alkylalkanolamines in BASF’s amines Verbund, therefore supporting our continued ambition to provide products for our customers’ growth,” said Dr. Frank Stein, Regional Business Unit Europe of BASF’s Intermediates division, adding: “This is our clear commitment as one of the globally leading amines producers.”
The versatile alkylethanolamines are mainly used as precursors for flocculants applied in water treatment and in the coatings industry where they act as binders between pigments and resins. Other applications include gas treatment, fabric softeners, in additives for metalworking fluids and polyurethanes.