October 18, 2017
Ludwigshafen

Force Majeure for ecoflex® and ecovio®

  • Plant shut down due to technical defect
  • BASF in contact with customers to withdraw product

On October 13, 2017, BASF detected a technical defect in the ecoflex plant at its Ludwigshafen site. To fix the defect, the plant has been shut down. In addition to ecoflex®, the plant produces ecovio®. Both products are versatile and compostable bio-plastics by BASF.

For this reason, BASF is declaring Force Majeure for ecoflex and ecovio. BASF is working intensively to repair the technical defect. Currently, it is expected that the shutdown will last at least three weeks.

The defect was found in the heating circuit of the plant. Due to this, a small amount of the thermal oil Marlotherm SH has entered the product loop. This thermal oil is biodegradable. The technical product and processing properties of ecoflex and ecovio are not affected; they remain biodegradable.

According to the initial calculations, BASF does not expect any health risks from intended product applications (for example, in agricultural films, waste or plastic bags and coffee capsules). For some applications, such as thin plastic bags for the transport of fruit and vegetables, an approval for contact with food is required, which the products currently not meet.

BASF is in close contact with the affected customers to withdraw the product. Affected is a quantity of about 1,500 tons. A hotline for customers in the downstream industries is being set up.

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

P-17-346

Last Update October 18, 2017