BASF wins Edison Award 2025 for the eFurnace project

The chemical industry faces the challenge of making its production processes more sustainable while increasing efficiency. An outstanding example of these efforts is the eFurnace project by BASF, Linde, and SABIC, which recently won the prestigious Edison Award 2025. 

For several years now, BASF has been pursuing the idea of operating the cracker electrically – using electricity from renewable energies instead of natural gas. BASF has also opened up its innovation processes to external input in several areas in order to advance low-emission processes, thereby putting its Winning Ways strategy into practice: BASF learns from external perspectives. The company is taking experimental approaches to developing new, sustainable technologies with competitors, suppliers, and customers – for example, in processes that would still be too costly and uncertain in their outcome to tackle alone. Together with SABIC and Linde, BASF has developed the world's first large-scale demonstration plant for electrically heated steam cracker furnaces, which will go into operation in 2024. Steamcracker furnaces, which are traditionally powered by fossil fuels, now use electricity from renewable energy sources to generate the necessary high temperatures. This leads to a drastic reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to conventional technologies.

The demonstration plant is fully integrated into one of the existing steam crackers at BASF's integrated site in Ludwigshafen and is currently testing two different heating concepts. The partners are consciously taking risks: as is always the case with research ideas, it is not certain whether the idea is the right one. Will the technology ultimately prevail on the market? That is also by no means clear. You can only take on such a risk if you have like-minded partners. BASF brought technology partner Linde and Saudi chemical giant SABIC on board for this project. Linde is already actively involved in commercializing the technology under the Starbridge™ brand name.  For BASF, the project is about sharing knowledge among peers and gaining new insights together. The results from the operation of the plant belong to all three partners.

The project has been and continues to be funded with up to €14.8 million from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection as part of the “Decarbonization in Industry” funding program to support the development of this innovative technology. 
The great thing is that the innovative efforts and successes of the three partners are also being seen and recognized outside the participating companies. In November 2024, the three companies were awarded the ICIS Innovation Award 2024 in London in the category “Best Process Innovation from a Large Company,” and in May 2025, they went on to win an Edison Award. 
Founded in 1987, the Edison Awards™ are among the most prestigious awards honoring excellence in the development of new products and services, marketing, design, and innovation.

The eFurnace project was recognized in the category “Green Energy Transition, Net Zero with Carbon Reduction Through Advanced Material.” This recognition underscores the innovative approach taken by BASF, SABIC, and Linde. 

The eFurnace project and the ICIS Innovation Award and Edison Award wins are a significant recognition for BASF and its partners. They demonstrate how innovative technologies and close collaboration can develop sustainable solutions to the challenges facing the chemical industry.