ANTWERP, Belgium — BASF recently announced it is building a new world-scale production plant for alkylethanolamines at its Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. After the planned start-up in 2024, the company will increase the global annual production capacity of its alkylethanolamines portfolio containing, amongst others, dimethylethanolamines (DMEOA) and methyldiethanolamines (MDEOA) by nearly 30% to more than 140,000 metric tons per year. With a high degree of local backward integration, BASF will ensure a reliable and sustainable production of alkylethanolamines. With production facilities for this portfolio at its sites in Ludwigshafen (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium), Geismar (Louisiana), and Nanjing (China), BASF is reportedly one of the world’s leading producers of alkylethanolamines.

“We see a continuing, growing demand for alkylethanolamines in a broad range of industries such as water treatment, detergents and gas treatment over the next years. The investment in Antwerp will have a positive effect on the available capacity for alkylalkanolamines in BASF’s amines Verbund, therefore supporting our continued ambition to provide products for our customers’ growth,” said Dr. Frank Stein, Regional Business Unit Europe of BASF’s Intermediates division. “This is our clear commitment as one of the globally leading amines producers.”

The versatile alkylethanolamines are mainly used as precursors for flocculants applied in water treatment and in the coatings industry where they act as binders between pigments and resins. With about 300 different amines, BASF has the world’s most diverse portfolio of this type of chemical intermediates. Along with alkyl-, alkanol- and alkoxyalkylamines, the company offers heterocyclic and aromatic as well as specialty amines. The range is completed by an expanding portfolio of chiral amines of high optical and chemical purity.

Learn more at www.basf.com.