Cleverly interconnected: The Logistics Verbund

Even when it came to choosing a site location, the issue of possible transport options for incoming raw materials and outgoing BASF products was extremely important. The rail connection, which already existed at the time, and the location by the River Rhine favored the choice of the site in Ludwigshafen for the plant.

Today the network of track at BASF covers more than 230 kilometers. Around 30 percent of goods are moved by rail, with the same percentage transported by truck and around 40 percent moved by ship. Large quantities of raw materials and feedstocks are supplied by pipeline or ship and get to the production facilities via three ports, two tank farms and a vast pipeline network. “Short distances” is the maxim for the internal movements of goods by truck and rail. They are coordinated with one another via a control system so that the distances are kept short and there are no empty vehicle movements. Rail plays a major role as an environmentally friendly means of transport. The intermodal transport terminal in the north of the plant makes Ludwigshafen an important hub for intermodal transport in Europe.

Block trains save energy and costs

Railroad is also used to link the site to BASF’s other important sites. What are known as block trains travel between Ludwigshafen and Schwarzheide and between Ludwigshafen and Antwerp several times a week. These goods trains travel from their station of origin to their destination without stopping anywhere in between. This saves energy and, in comparison to transport by road, avoids, CO₂ emissions.

There are also synergy effects with truck movements and overseas shipments. They are organized centrally. This ensures that only fully laden trucks travel to the destinations and containers are filled to the optimum level. The Verbund is also beneficial when it comes to storage and bottling. A large number of production facilities have their products bottled and packaged centrally.

The Intermodal Transport Terminal

The intermodal transport terminal in Ludwigshafen has made it possible to link together trucks and trains as means of transport in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way.

Seit 1976 ist der BASF-Landeshafen Nord in Ludwigshafen Umschlagplatz für brennbare Flüssigkeiten wie Naphtha oder Methanol. 2010 haben hier 2548 Tankschiffe angelegt und annähernd 3,1 Millionen Tonnen Güter umgeschlagen. Der Einsatz moderner Technik gewährleistet ein schnelles, sicheres und sauberes Verladen rund um die Uhr. Die etwa 50 verschiedenen umgeschlagenen Produkte werden direkt vom Schiff über Rohrleitungen in das angrenzende Tanklager geleitet.
Abdruck honorarfrei. Copyright by BASF.

BASF’s inland port of Ludwigshafen North has been a transshipment terminal for flammable liquids such as naphtha or methanol since 1976. In 2010, 2,548 tankers docked here and close to 3.1 million metric tons of goods were handled. State-of-the-art technology ensures that goods are loaded swiftly, safely and efficiently 24 hours a day. The about 50 different products handled at the terminal are transferred directly from the ship through pipelines to the adjacent tank storage facility.
Print free of charge. Copyright by BASF.

North Harbour

The north harbour is a terminal for combustible fluids such as naphtha, methanol and compressed liquefied gases.

In Europas größtem Logistikzentrum für verpackte Chemikalien können jährlich 60.000 Transporte abgewickelt werden. Modernste Informationstechnologie steuert alle notwendigen Abläufe in Lager und Versand. Abdruck honorarfrei. Copyright by BASF.

Europe's biggest logistics center for prepacked chemicals is capable of dispatching up to 60,000 loads a year. State-of-the-art IT guides all the necessary warehousing and transport processes. Print free of charge. Copyright by BASF.

The Logistics Center

BASF’s largest logistics center is located in the northern part of the plant. From here BASF supplies products around the clock to customers all over the world.