ZHANJIANG/LUDWIGSHAFEN (dpa-AFX) - A significant milestone for chemical giant BASF's new major integrated site in Zhanjiang, China: A steam cracker, a large-scale facility for splitting naphtha with the help of steam, has commenced operations there. According to the company, it is the first cracker worldwide to power its main compressors entirely with electricity from renewable sources.
The cracker is a centerpiece of the new Zhanjiang complex in southern China, which is now BASF's third-largest integrated site worldwide, after Ludwigshafen and Antwerp. It produces essential base chemicals such as ethylene and propylene. BASF board member Stephan Kothrade described the start of operations as an important milestone for the site. Around 8.7 billion euros are being invested in the project, making it the company's largest single investment to date.
In addition to the steam cracker, which has a capacity of one million tons of ethylene per year, the Zhanjiang plant also includes facilities for producing petrochemicals, intermediates, and other products, some of which are already operational. According to the company, its customers include, among others, the packaging industry for plastics and specialty chemicals, the construction sector for high-performance plastics, and the automotive industry for coatings and plastics./chs/DP/nas
