BASF inaugurates new production plant in Düsseldorf, Germany

• New production plant for emollients used in personal care products
• Capacity expansion for the European and global cosmetics market
• Largest investment at the Düsseldorf site in ten years

Düsseldorf – July 16, 2026 – BASF has inaugurated a new plant in Düsseldorf, Germany, to produce specialty emollients, particularly for skin care and sun protection products. With this investment in the mid double-digit million-euro range, BASF is strategically expanding its capacity for these specialty products to meet growing market demand.

Together with numerous customers and representatives from politics, the City of Düsseldorf as well as industry associations, BASF management representatives marked the successful completion of this ambitious project.

Agus Ciputra, head of BASF’s global Personal Care business unit, emphasized the significance for the company: “The new plant is more than an investment in production. It is an investment in our expertise and in our ability to help customers bring differentiated products to market. By expanding our production capacity for specialty emollients based on renewable raw materials, we are laying the foundation for innovative personal care solutions that meet evolving consumer expectations for performance, formulation flexibility and sustainability.”

Sven Crone, who is globally responsible for production in the Care Chemicals division, underlined the importance of the investment for the site and the achievement of everyone involved: “We are convinced that our Düsseldorf production site is well positioned for the future, and we are taking decisive steps to secure its competitiveness. This capacity expansion is one of the strongest signals of that commitment. From planning and regulatory approval to the construction phase, we overcame many challenges and, thanks to the excellent collaboration among all those involved, were able to commission the plant after only two years of construction. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed.”

Emollients bind and help retain skin moisture while improving the sensory profile of personal care products. BASF’s Düsseldorf production site specializes in ingredients for the cosmetics and personal care industry. It already offers the most comprehensive emollients portfolio and is now further strengthening its position through this capacity expansion.

Düsseldorf is BASF’s third-largest site in Europe and, at the same time, the company’s largest site worldwide for the production and development of cosmetic ingredients.


About the Care Chemicals division at BASF

The BASF division Care Chemicals offers a broad range of ingredients for personal care, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, and technical applications. We are a leading global supplier for the cosmetics industry as well as the detergents and cleaners industry, and support our customers with innovative and sustainable products, solutions and concepts. The division’s high-performance product portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, polymers, emollients, chelating agents, cosmetic active ingredients and UV filters. We have production and development sites in all regions and are expanding our presence in emerging markets. Further information is available online at www.care-chemicals.basf.com.

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 108,000 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 around €60 billion in 2025. 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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