BASF and Masdar form strategic partnership

* Close cooperation on sustainable construction of Masdar City
* World’s first carbon-neutral and waste-free city

Ludwigshafen , Germany/Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Masdar and BASF today announced a strategic partnership agreement for collaboration on the construction of Masdar City, the world’s first carbon-neutral and zero-waste city. BASF is named as a “preferred supplier” of construction materials and system solutions for the city’s construction. The chemical company will also open an office in Masdar City once it is completed.



In order to reduce the energy demand in Masdar City, BASF will play an integral role in the city’s construction by offering its extensive portfolio of innovative solutions for sustainable and energy-efficient construction. “BASF will be an invaluable partner for Masdar and the development of Masdar City,” said Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, C hief Executive Officer of Masdar. “We’ve made a bold commitment to advance the use of sustainable materials in urban developments; tapping into BASF’s expertise in this field takes us one step closer to that goal.”



Masdar City, currently in its first phase of construction, is approximately 30 kilometers from downtown Abu Dhabi. As a cleantech cluster and hub for technology innovation, research and development the city is attracting industry leaders and researchers. Masdar is partnering with the world’s most prominent companies, investment firms and educational institutions to develop and deploy leading technologies, systems and sustainable solutions in Masdar City and in the wider Abu Dhabi and Gulf region. One such example is the International Renewable Agency (IRENA) which recently decided to locate its new global headquarters in Masdar City.



“BASF is a global market leader in products and system solutions for sustainable construction,” said Dr. Walter Seufert, President Region Europe at BASF. “By cooperating with Masdar in the construction of Masdar City, we underline our commitment to energy-efficient, climate-friendly construction.”



BASF develops and markets numerous products that help to save energy and resources as well as avoid greenhouse gas emissions. These include products made from polystyrene and polyurethane which will be used for the manufacture of insulating foams for thermal insulation of buildings. Phase-change materials that are integrated into plaster or gypsum wall boards can be used as an alternative to air conditioning, in this way saving electricity and maintenance costs. In addition, black pigments in roof coatings which absorb very little infrared solar radiation prevent dark surfaces from heating up. The use of special concrete admixtures in the concrete manufacturing process can lower carbon emissions by up to 60 percent.



About Masdar

Masdar is an Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company that develops low-carbon solutions for a more sustainable future. By establishing a leading education and research institution, financing promising technologies, developing large-scale utilities, and building the world’s first carbon-neutral city, Masdar operates across the life-cycle of renewable energy technology at an unprecedented scale. Masdar is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mubadala Development Company. For more information, please visit www.masdar.ae.



About BASF

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. As a reliable partner BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €62 billion in 2008 and had approximately 97,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.