BASF headquarters in Germany.
LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY: BASF will combine its businesses with water solutions and oilfield and mining solutions effective from 1 April 2013, to increase efficiency and support its growth strategies. The new global business unit will be located in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
With the combination of these businesses, BASF is taking various steps to increase efficiency and operational excellence in its polyacrylamide (PAM) operations. Significant investments are planned to upgrade the performance of existing production plants, create additional capacity, strengthen R&D efforts and establish a new bio-acrylamide process for further cost optimization. As part of its world -wide operational improvement programme for its water solutions business, the company expects to reduce its workforce by about 215 positions worldwide. Most of the planned job reductions will occur at the Bradford and Grimsby, UK sites.
“By combining the strengths of these businesses, sharpening our focused market approach and at the same time increasing operational and innovation excellence, we are in a good position to advance innovative solutions to the water, oilfield and mining industries. The planned comprehensive measures are needed to achieve cost competitiveness. These efforts will be backed by considerable investments in new technologies in Europe as well as in North America and in R&D. BASF expects to complete the planned measures at the latest by end of 2015,” said Hans W Reiners, President, Performance Chemicals division, BASF.
© WOC News