February 11, 2025 – BASF’s Performance Materials Division Switches to Renewable Energy for European Plants by 2025
In a significant announcement, BASF’s Performance Materials Division has revealed plans to fully transition all its European plants to renewable energy for electricity by January 1, 2025. This bold move underscores BASF’s unwavering commitment to sustainability.
Martin Jung, President of BASF’s Global Performance Materials Division, emphasized that BASF is dedicated to helping customers achieve green transformations, starting with its own operations. The adoption of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is crucial for achieving climate targets. This transition will encompass the production of engineering plastics, polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyurethanes, and specialty polymers, involving nine high-performance materials production sites across Europe.
According to AsiaMB, renewable energy plays a vital role in BASF’s value chain. For instance, in supplier selection, BASF’s Performance Materials Division procures raw materials from 3B Fibreglass, which uses photovoltaic power to produce glass fibers, significantly reducing carbon emissions. This improvement not only reflects on BASF’s products but will ultimately have a positive impact on its customers. Simultaneously, BASF is continuously optimizing production processes to incorporate renewable energy into the production of base polymers and other raw materials for engineering plastics and polyurethanes.
Alexander Weiser, Senior Vice President and Head of BASF’s Performance Materials Division for Europe, noted that Ludwigshafen, the world’s largest integrated chemical production site, is transitioning to renewable energy for electricity in a gradual process. The Performance Materials Division will play a leading role in this transformation, driving the power conversion across the entire production site.
Looking ahead, BASF plans to gradually transition all its global operations to renewable energy for electricity. To achieve this, BASF is expanding renewable energy production through major projects. For example, the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm, jointly owned with Vattenfall, began operations in 2023, providing zero-emission technology to multiple production sites in Europe. Additionally, BASF’s second-largest plant in Germany, Schwarzheide, has integrated 24 megawatts of solar power generation capacity.
Martin Jung stressed that renewable energy for electricity is not the only means of reducing CO2 emissions. Green steam generated through electrification processes and the use of alternative raw materials through mass balance methods also play crucial roles in the transition to a sustainable chemical industry. BASF aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% compared to the baseline year of 2018 by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. To this end, BASF will continue to focus on renewable energy, optimize raw material procurement and production processes, and actively promote the implementation of a circular economy.