On stream: BASF starts up new world-scale plant for hexamethylenediamine in Chalampé, France

• Increase of BASF’s HMD production capacity to 260,000 metric tons
• Expansion of polyamide business together with polyamide 6.6 production in Freiburg

BASF has announced the successful startup of its new world-scale hexamethylenediamine (HMD) plant in Chalampé, France, construction of which began in 2022. The plant increases BASF’s annual HMD production capacity to 260,000 metric tons.

“This investment underlines BASF’s strong commitment to chemical production in Europe and our determination to support regional growth. It is yet another example of how we put our ‘Winning Ways’ strategy into action to create long-term value for our company and secure our future competitiveness in a volatile economic environment,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF.

The plant is an essential component of BASF’s strategic path forward in its polyamide (PA) 6.6 business in Europe. In addition to starting up the new HMD plant, the company is in the final stage of expanding its PA 6.6 production in Freiburg, Germany.

“The successful completion of this investment project is a significant step towards our goal of being the leading supplier for HMD and the preferred partner for PA 6.6 in Europe,” said Dr. Ramkumar Dhruva, President of BASF’s Monomers division. “Through the new HMD production plant in Chalampé and the expanded PA 6.6 polymerization in Freiburg, we are ideally positioned to supply our customers reliably with high-quality products.”

The economic and industrial platform in the Alsace region of France and the direct integration into the main raw material adiponitrile (ADN) provide an ideal setup for the production and supply of HMD. In addition to chemical production assets, BASF operates a state-of-the-art research and development laboratory as well as corresponding infrastructure dedicated to PA 6.6 research at the Chalampé site.

HMD is a precursor used in the production of high-quality PA 6.6 polymers and coatings raw materials. Among other applications, these products are used in the automotive industry as well as in the production of high-quality fibers.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.

  
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