- Expanded production slated to start up in Q2 2017
BASF Chemcat (Thailand) Ltd. is investing to expand its regional production capacity and enhance its local manufacturing capabilities for mobile emissions catalysts in Rayong, Thailand.
The company is planning to construct a new 35,000-square-meter facility to replace its existing plant in Rayong, providing increased operating space and upgraded manufacturing capabilities comparable to BASF’s other automotive catalysts manufacturing sites around the world.
The existing plant opened in 2001 and growing demand from tightening emissions regulations has driven the need for a larger facility with the latest equipment to provide state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities.
Upon completion of the expansion project in the second quarter of 2017, the new site will house a total of four production lines for both light duty and motorcycle emissions catalysts, helping customers meet increasingly stringent regional emissions regulations.
“Through this investment, BASF is further strengthening its emissions catalysts production capabilities to meet our automotive customers’ emerging technology needs in Thailand and throughout the ASEAN market,” said Michael Baier, BASF’s Vice President, Mobile Emissions Catalysts Asia Pacific. “Our expansion to a larger and more advanced production site will allow us to improve our operating efficiency as we provide industry-leading emissions control solutions for cleaner air.”
Among the core technologies that will be manufactured at the expanded BASF operating site in Rayong include:
- Three-Way Conversion (TWC) Catalysts: remove hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and some nitrogen oxides (NOx) from gasoline or ethanol engine exhaust.
- Diesel Oxidation Catalysts (DOC): remove HC, CO and some particulate matter (PM) from diesel engine exhaust.
- Catalyzed Soot Filters (CSF): minimize the release of particulate material from diesel engine exhaust.
- SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) Catalysts: converts NOx into water and nitrogen using a urea-based solution.
About BASF’s 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 and other products, including advanced battery materials. By leveraging our industry-leading R&D platforms, passion for innovation and deep knowledge of precious and base metals, BASF’s Catalysts division develops unique, proprietary solutions that drive customer success. Further information on BASF’s Catalysts division is available on the Internet at www.catalysts.basf.com.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 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.