BASF: Styrolux plant to be built at Altamira, Mexico
Commenting on the project, Dr. Werner Prätorius, head of BASF's Styrenic division, said: "This investment will give us better access to the world's biggest SBS market". Furthermore, Prätorius views specialty resins as an important complement to the company's bulk plastics activities, which are more influenced by commodity pricing.
The Altamira plant is part of a wider programme of investment in Styrolux capacity in Antwerp and Ludwigshafen designed to meet the above-average growth in demand for this product. A few days ago work on expanding a plant in Antwerp was completed, rising capacity there to 35 000 metric tons from 20 000 metric tons. Early next year Antwerp will see a new 30 000 metric ton facility come on stream, while this year in Ludwigshafen capacity is due to be boosted from 15 000 to about 20 000 metric tons.
The entire investment programme will cost more than EUR 75 million. "This considerable sum shows just how confident we are about the future growth prospects of our Styrolux business", underlines Prätorius.
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