BASF increases production capacity for medium-molecular weight polyisobutenes in Ludwigshafen

BASF will increase the production capacity for its medium-molecular weight polyisobutenes, marketed under the tradename OPPANOL B, at its site in Ludwigshafen, Germany, by 25%, said the company.

The investment comes in response to the rising global demand for high-quality medium-molecular weight polyisobutenes.

“With this step we are further strengthening BASF’s position as a reliable supplier that strongly supports growth and the demanding requirements of customers in various industries,” says Lena Adam, Senior Vice President, Fuel and Lubricant Solutions, BASF SE.

Medium-molecular weight polyisobutenes are essential performance components for products in a variety of industries including the automotive, construction, electronics as well as the food & packaging industry. Applications, for example, may include surface protective films, window sealants, binder material for batteries and food packaging solutions.

“The additional production capacity for our medium-molecular weight OPPANOL B polyisobutenes will enable our customers to grow with innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable development, for example, in energy-efficient housing. Building on our backward integration into key raw materials we will be leveraging the full strength of BASF as a global leader in polyisobutene,” explains Dr. Tanja Rost, Vice President, Global Marketing and Product Development, Fuel and Lubricant Solutions, BASF SE.

The capacity expansion is expected to reach full completion by the first half of 2025.

We remind, BASF and Huntsman together with their Chinese partner companies – Shanghai Hua Yi (Group Company), Sinopec Shanghai Gaoqiao Petrochemical Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co., Ltd. – announce the planned separation of their joint MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) production at Shanghai Lianheng Isocyanate Co., Ltd.

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BASF has completed the carve-out of its mobile emissions catalysts and precious metal services businesses and named the separate legal entity BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS), said the company.

The company’s intention to carve out the entity was first announced in December 2021 with an expected completion timeframe of 18 months.

“We have reached this important milestone on time while retaining business continuity for our customers, partners and employees,” said Dr. Markus Kamieth, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE, responsible for the Surface Technologies segment. “The ECMS team, supported by many BASF and external experts, has done a tremendous job of managing carve-out-related responsibilities while continuing their focus on competitive, cost-effective and innovative solutions for customers, and delivering excellent business results.”

ECMS has global operations in 15 countries with over 4,500 employees and 20 production sites. As a standalone entity, ECMS operates its own legal entities, IT system landscape and services independently. The ECMS business will continue to be reported as part of the Catalysts division in the Surface Technologies segment.

“I am extremely proud of what our team has accomplished in reaching this standalone achievement,” said Dirk Bremm, President and CEO of ECMS. “With our industry leading innovations, we are winning new platforms and are well positioned through this successful carve-out to be agile and entrepreneurial in taking hold of market opportunities in step with the more stringent light- and heavy-duty emissions regulations. Additionally, we will further pursue growth areas in circular solutions and the hydrogen economy.”

ECMS is a global leader in emissions catalysts and produces mobile emission catalysts for gasoline, diesel and off-road vehicles, motorcycles, small engines and other applications. It is also a prominent supplier of precious metal products, trading and services and is the largest recycler of precious metals from spent automotive catalysts.

The entity’s urban mine refines platinum group metals (PGMs) containing materials to a purity exceeding commercial grade industry standards that are fed back into manufacturing of new automotive and chemical catalysts. The recycling of precious metals emits 97 percent less CO2 than refining primary – or mined – PGMs, enabling the circular economy and sustainability.

ECMS’s pursuit of growth areas includes further development of precious metals recycling and catalysts-based products and services on both ends of the hydrogen economy value chain – hydrogen production via water electrolysis and hydrogen use in fuel cell electric vehicles. The team is also working on next generation electrocatalysts that enable construction of even better electrolyzers and, as a result, bring down the costs of green hydrogen production.

We remind, BASF and Huntsman together with their Chinese partner companies – Shanghai Hua Yi (Group Company), Sinopec Shanghai Gaoqiao Petrochemical Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co., Ltd. – announce the planned separation of their joint MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) production at Shanghai Lianheng Isocyanate Co., Ltd.

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His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has chaired a meeting of the Executive Committee of the ADNOC Board of Directors at ADNOC Headquarters, said the company.

During the meeting, His Highness approved ADNOC’s accelerated decarbonisation plan to bring forward its net zero ambition to 2045, from its previous target of 2050, and to achieve zero methane emissions by 2030. ADNOC is the first company in its peer group to accelerate its net zero target to 2045.

His Highness noted that these new, ambitious targets mark a new chapter in ADNOC’s transformational journey to a lower carbon future. The company has placed sustainability at the heart of its long-term strategy, including the decarbonisation of its operations, investing in renewables, building a global hydrogen value chain, deploying innovative climate technology solutions and advancing nature-based solutions such as planting mangroves in the UAE.

His Highness and members of the Executive Committee called on ADNOC to seek new global partnerships with other progressive energy companies, customers and technology leaders to collaborate on and boost its decarbonisation plan.

His Highness and members of the Executive Committee were briefed on ADNOC’s 2022 upstream carbon intensity performance of ~7 kgCO2e/boe as it responsibly contributed to meeting growing global energy demand. In 2022, ADNOC’s industry leading methane intensity was ~0.07%, and the company was awarded the Gold Standard Pathway by the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0.

Additionally, in 2022, the company achieved greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of ~4mt by using grid energy from solar and nuclear power to supply 100% of its onshore operations as well as ~1mt from energy efficiency and flaring reduction projects. These results, independently assured by DNV*, place ADNOC in the top tier of lowest carbon intensity oil and gas producers in the world.

His Highness highlighted ADNOC’s role as a key enabler of the UAE’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which raises the ambition of the UAE’s nationwide emissions reductions to 40% by 2030, as well as ADNOC’s role in supporting the UAE’s recently updated Energy Strategy 2050, its new National Hydrogen Strategy and Abu Dhabi’s Climate Change Strategy.

His Highness noted that ADNOC’s employees are crucial to delivering on its decarbonisation plan and commended its efforts to develop and empower talent. He stressed that people are the nation’s greatest asset and the UAE Leadership will continue to prioritise human capital development.

We remind, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co has increased its buyout offer for Covestro AG to around 11 billion euros (USD12.3 billion). ADNOC's latest bid values Covestro at about 57 euros per share, the person said, up from a mid-50 euro per share range. Covestro had rejected ADNOC's initial takeover proposal last month, saying the offer was too low. A Covestro spokesperson declined to comment, while ADNOC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

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The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has submitted comments in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) request for public input on its Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, said EPA.

“The plastic industry appreciates the opportunity to submit comments to the EPA, however, we are disappointed with the agency’s draft strategy,” said PLASTICS’ President and CEO Matt Seaholm. “The EPA was directed by Congress in an overwhelmingly bi-partisan way to focus on post-consumer materials management and infrastructure, and instead the agency’s first stated objective in this strategy is to reduce the production of essential materials rather than address plastic waste.”

“The strategy is not focused on improving infrastructure, meanwhile, the plastics industry continues to invest billions of dollars in innovations to expand recycling capacity. Understanding and addressing the essential nature of plastics and tackling environmental challenges should not be mutually exclusive.”

“We don’t recycle enough, and we need to improve recycling rates in the U.S., period. PLASTICS remains eager to collaborate with the EPA, stakeholders and anyone who is willing to work towards our common goal of effective solutions to keep plastic waste out of the environment,” concluded Seaholm.

It was reported earlier, European Union lawmakers plan to accept changes made by countries last week to the bloc's renewable energy law, to give assurances to France and others on potentially exempting ammonia plants. EU countries on Friday agreed late changes to the law, adding an amendment that said some ammonia plants would struggle to switch to renewable fuels, and a pledge from the European Commission to consider exempting them from renewable targets.

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PPG announced that John Bruno, current vice president, investor relations, has been appointed vice president, finance. Bruno will continue to report to Vince Morales, PPG senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), said the company.

Bruno will also continue to serve as PPG’s primary investor relations contact until his successor is named.

In his new role, Bruno will influence key organic growth and strategy initiatives for all of PPG’s strategic business units. He will also help to drive manufacturing efficiencies, optimize cost structures and focus on improved working capital and cash generation across the entire enterprise.

Bruno has held a variety of diverse finance roles of increasing responsibility during his 28 years with PPG, including business-specific finance support as well as broad corporate roles. Prior to assuming the investor relations role in 2017, he served as PPG’s regional CFO for the Asia-Pacific region where he supported significant PPG expansion and profitable sales growth in the region. Bruno also spent several years in Europe serving as a key integration lead for PPG’s acquisition of SigmaKalon, where he helped to drive synergy capture and integration efficiencies. In prior finance roles, he was PPG’s director of internal audit and worked in other business finance leadership roles. Bruno also worked in various finance roles at U.S. Steel Corp. prior to joining PPG in 1995.

Bruno is a certified public accountant and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and a Master of Business Administration degree from Duquesne University.

We remind, PPG Industries Inc. (PPG) on Thursday reported second-quarter results that beat Wall Street's estimates and raised its full-year profit forecast, but management warned of continued "tepid" industrial production and lower home sales. PPG reported net income of USD490 million, or USD2.06 a share, compared with USD443 million, or USD1.86 a share, in the same quarter last year. Revenue rose 4% to USD4.87 billion, up from USD4.69 billion in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted for acquisition and restructuring costs, PPG earned USD2.25 a share. Analysts polled by FactSet expected PPG to report adjusted earnings per share of USD2.14, on sales of USD4.84 billion.

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