New BASF facility to support cleaner cars in China

21st February 2012

ES Admin

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BASF today inaugurated a new manufacturing plant housing a state-of-the-art facility for producing precious metals-based salts and solutions used in industrial applications. The salts and solutions produced at the 2,200-square meter plant are primarily used to support BASF’s mobile emissions catalysts manufacturing operation in Shanghai. This operation uses the products in its formulations for automotive catalytic converters, which are the single most important solution for reducing emissions from the exhaust of cars, trucks and buses.

BASF, including its joint ventures in Japan and Korea, is the market leader for mobile emissions catalysts in Asia, and the leading manufacturer of mobile emissions catalysts globally.

“Through this investment, we are further strengthening our presence in China and our commitment to meeting the increased need for precious metals-based salts and solutions in this fast-growing region,” said Deon Carter, Senior Vice President, Precious Metals Services, which is part of BASF’s global Catalysts division. “This is the first phase of a longer term project that will create ‘full-loop’ precious metals capabilities for BASF in China, directly supporting our commitment to sustainability and making the most effective use of the world’s limited resources.”

Over the next few years, BASF intends to further expand its precious metals operations in China by recycling precious metals from industrial scrap materials, including spent autocatalysts and chemical catalysts. These end-of-life materials contain significant amounts of recoverable platinum, palladium and other valuable metals that can be used to meet increasing global demand for these resources in a highly sustainable way.

In addition to its local manufacturing operations, BASF has an established precious metals trading business in Shanghai, BASF Metals (Shanghai) Company Ltd., which provides precious metals procurement, sales and risk management solutions for BASF and its third-party customers in the Asia-Pacific region, including a number of automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

“Our ongoing expansion activities in Shanghai demonstrate our commitment to providing customers with a highly sustainable source of raw materials that contribute directly to cleaner air in China,” said Dr. Henrik Junicke, BASF’s Vice President of Global Refining, Salts and Solutions. “I look forward to our future expansion activities in Shanghai, where BASF is at the forefront of providing the full range of precious metals-based products and services.”