BASF Breaks Ground for New Biodiesel Catalyst Plant in Brazil to Meet Demand in South America
15 February 2010
BASF broke ground for its new production plant for sodium methylate in Guaratinguetá, Brazil, its largest site in South America. Sodium methylate is an efficient and reliable catalyst for the production of biodiesel.
The plant will have a capacity of 60,000 metric tons per year and is primarily intended to supply the regional market. It is the second BASF plant for this product, in addition to a plant in Ludwigshafen. The project will involve a capital expenditure in the low double-digit million Euro range.
BASF expects about 15% of the annual global demand for biodiesel, which is about 30 million tons, to come from South America in 2015. Legislation in Brazil requires fuel to contain 5 percent biodiesel from 2010 onwards. Argentina has also mandated that biodiesel makes up 5 percent of fuel by 2010. Other South American countries have similar legislation.
The plant is expected to be operational from the end of 2011 onwards.
Good. BASF makes me think of their magnetic tape products. Glad to see diversification to biodiesel.
Posted by: sulleny | 15 February 2010 at 03:18 PM
BASF is an amazing company, they do so many things in materials and chemicals that no one know what they do. It is like the commercial says "we don't make the product, we make the product better".
Posted by: SJC | 16 February 2010 at 04:26 PM