BASF completes capacity expansion at facility in Spain to meet growing demand for polyolefin catalysts

ISELIN, NJ -- BASF Catalysts has completed a significant debottlenecking project that has increased capacity at its production facility in Tarragona, Spain. The 25 percent capacity increase will help meet growing global demand for polypropylene catalysts. The expansion was completed as projected, on time in the third quarter 2008, and is already on line and in use to serve customers.

The Tarragona plant produces custom catalysts for BASF’s partner, Novolen Technology GmbH, and BASF’s own proprietary polyolefin catalysts.

“The global polyolefin catalysts market is expected to grow 4 to 5 percent per year through 2015,” said George Vann, BASF Polyolefin Catalysts Global Business Manager. “We expanded manufacturing capacity to keep pace with the market, meet our customers’ needs and leverage the value we bring to them.”

The new capacity will help BASF better service customers in Europe and the Middle East and strengthen the company’s ability to help customers be more successful in their own businesses. “No matter where a customer is in the world, we’re making sure that BASF polyolefins catalysts will be available,” said Vann.

BASF’s Lynx® polypropylene catalyst technologies are utilized commercially in all major polypropylene process technologies, including slurry, bulk loop, stirred gas, fluid gas, and stirred bulk. Lynx’s characteristic consistent particle morphology and narrow particle size distribution provide the ability to realize the full capability of each process. Lynx catalysts technology-based products have gained widespread market acceptance due to their high efficiency, high activity and control of crystallinity and stiffness to desired levels.

About the Catalysts division
BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics, adsorbents and other products.

About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from oil and gas to chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals. 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 has more than 95,000 employees and posted sales of almost €58 billion in 2007. 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