BASF opens new center in Thailand for ASEAN growing automotive market

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has set up a new Coatings Technical Competence Center ASEAN in Bangkok, Thailand, according to the company's press release.

This new facility supports technical and laboratory activities mainly in motorcycle coatings including technology transfer, product development, performance testing, color design and development, and houses a sales and marketing team as well as a technical service team of more than 20 professionals, all catering to motorcycle manufacturers in the ASEAN region.

Boonchai Opas-iam-likit, Managing Director, BASF Thailand Limited, said, "Thailand is a key market and production hub for the car and motorcycle industries in ASEAN, which is an important region for these industries. This technical competence center will significantly benefit our customers, especially in Thailand, and at the same time is important to BASF in achieving our long-term business objectives."

We remind that, as MRC reported earlier, BASF' plastic, a highly reinforced polyamide was used in the production of a front end carrier in the new Golf 7. This is one of the world's first front end carriers without metal reinforcement. Ultramid B3WG8 will replace the previous polypropylene (PP) hybrid part. The sheet steel parts that had been attached previously are now eliminated.

In the Coatings Division, BASF develops, produces and markets a high-quality range of innovative automotive OEM coatings, automotive refinishes and industrial coatings as well as decorative paints. BASF has significant market positions in the Coatings sector in Europe, North America, South America and the Asia Pacific region. In 2012 the Coatings Division of the BASF Group achieved global sales of nearly 3.0 billion Euros.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Belarusian producer Polymir shuts one of its two reactors for the production of high-density polyethylene (LDPE) for a two-week maintenace from 30 of March, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The Belarusian maker of high-density polyethylene Polymir (concern Naftan) plans to stop one of its two reactors for a scheduled turnaround on 30 March. The outage will affect the production of the following grades: 10803-020, 10204-003 and 12203-250. The shutdown of the second reactor for maintenance (15803-020 and 17703-010 grades) is scheduled for early September.

As it was reported earlier, initially the outage for maintenance of the first reactor at Polimir was planned to start from 7 March, but the company postponed it for late March due to the frosts.

Polymir (OAO "Naftan") is the largest petrochemical enterprise in Belarus, producing a wide range of chemical products, such as, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), acrylic fibers, products of organic synthesis, hydrocarbon fractions, etc.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The February production volumes of caustic soda by Russian producers of caustic declined by 8% from January, according to MRC ScanPlast.

In February, the output of caustic soda in Russia dropped by 7,500 tonnes compared to January and amounted to about 87,000 tonnes last month.

In the structure of the total production volumes, Kaustik (Volgograd) accounted for 19% of the output. The share of Sayanskkhimplast was about 18%, while that of Kaustik (Sterlitamak) made about 17%. The remaining volumes were produced by the other eight producers of caustic soda in Russia.

Overall, in January-February, the output of caustic soda in Russia totaled 181,400 tonnes, which is equal year-on-year. In January-February 2012, the production volumes of caustic soda by Russian plants made 181,560 tonnes.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- At the request of its chairman and shareholder Gary Klesch, KEM ONE SAS has been put into receivership, said the company in its press release.

Following the ruling of the Commercial Court of Lyon, which formally opened the proceedings, the KEM ONE management team is determined to find sustainable solutions with its historical stakeholders Arkema and Total, that will allow the business to continue to operate.

As MRC wrote earlier, Klesch Group said it had discovered significant gaps in the information presented by Arkema's management before it completed the acquisition in July of Kem One SAS, whose products are used in items ranging from pipes and packaging to paper.

In view of the financial position of KEM ONE SAS, Gary Klesch, chairman and shareholder of KEM ONE, filed for a state of insolvency for the company with the Commercial Court of Lyon. On Wednesday 27 March, the Commercial Court of Lyon gave judgement, opening official receivership proceedings. It appointed an official receiver, who will be in charge of the administration of the entire company. The company will continue to operate as normal during this proceedings.

Given the industrial, economic and social stakes for this petrochemical and chemical sector in France, the KEM ONE management team is confident in the commitment of its former shareholder Arkema – who agreed to divest its vinyl branch to the Klesch group in July 2012 – and its main supplier Total to find sustainable solutions for its activities, with the full support of the French government.

KEM ONE SAS includes the company’s upstream sites inFrance: 1300 people based at the headquarters (Lyon) and 7 industrial sites : Balan (Ain), Saint-Fons (Rhone), Saint-Auban (Alpes de HauteProvence), Berre, Fos-sur-Mer, Lavera (Bouches du Rhone) and Vauvert (Gard).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF, the largest diversified chemical company in the world, has started to roll out its Master Builders Solutions brand in Asia Pacific as part of a phased launch process, reported the company in its press-release.

The global brand is a sign for BASF’s commitment to the construction industry and represents a wide range of construction chemical solutions previously sold under a variety of specialty brands.

The portfolio of products and services marketed under the Master Builders Solutions brand embraces chemical solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of buildings and infrastructure: concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for mining and tunneling, waterproofing, concrete protection and repair products, grouts and high-performance flooring products.

The revised range of products and services marketed under the Master Builders Solutions brand now features a globalized naming system, helping BASF to support customers and partners with a promise of constantly high quality and consistency in products and services.

We remind that, as MRC informed previously, last summer BASF and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further strengthen their cooperation by jointly exploring the possibility of building a world-scale isononanol (INA) plant in Maoming Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, Maoming, China. Later last year, as part of BASF's major innovation investment in China, the company opened the first Innovation Campus Asia Pacific and its new Greater China headquarters at its site in Pudong, Shanghai. With this expansion the company"s site will be one of BASF"s largest outside of Germany.

BASF’s Construction Chemicals division offers advanced chemicals solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures: Our comprehensive portfolio encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing systems, sealants, concrete repair & protection systems, performance grouts, performance flooring systems, tile fixing systems, expansion control systems and wood protection solutions. The division operates production sites and sales centers in more than 60 countries and achieved sales of about EUR2.3 billion in 2012.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
MRC