BASF plant for biocatalyzed acrylamide in Nanjing
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) celebrated the opening of a new production plant for biocatalyzed acrylamide (BioACM) at its site in Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park, Nanjing, China.
With this investment in its wholly owned BioACM plant in Nanjing, BASF is strengthening its production set-up for reliable and high-quality supply of polyacrylamide to customers in Asia Pacific, especially in China. The plant has a capacity of more than 50,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of biocatalyzed acrylamide.
Acrylamide is used in the production of water-soluble flocculation aids that make wastewater treatment and papermaking, as well as mineral processing and enhanced oil recovery, more efficient and less resource-intensive. This new plant further strengthens BASF’s position in the region and will help expand cost-competitive supply to meet the growing demand of these water-intensive industries.
BASF has been producing biocatalyzed acrylamide in Suffolk, USA, since 2014 and started operations at its European BioACM plant in Bradford, England, in 2016. With this successful start-up in China, BASF now has three state-of-the-art production facilities located in key markets worldwide.
“The completion of the BioACM plant in Nanjing is an important milestone. The construction of a new polyacrylamide production line is currently underway and is expected to go on stream in 2018. With investments into upstream and downstream plants, we continue to strengthen our position as a leading partner for the paper and water treatment industries,” explained Andreas Tuerk, Senior Vice President Paper and Water Chemicals from BASF.
The enzyme-based biocatalytic production method results in less waste than conventional high-pressure, energy-intensive copper catalysis. The process takes place at room temperature and under normal atmospheric conditions, resulting in energy savings and greater environmental compatibility. It also generates fewer by-products.
“The BioACM plant at Nanjing is built according to BASF’s high global standards of safety and environmental protection. BASF provides training to employees and safety experts to ensure the same high safety standards as in all other production facilities,” said Bradley Morrison, Senior Vice President, Operations and Site Management Greater China.