BASF headquarters in Germany.
LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY: BASF plans to increase the production capacity of its insulation material Neopor (EPS, expandable polystyrene) in stages at its Ludwigshafen site by around 60,000 metric tonne per year from December 2011 and is set to achieve full capacity by October 2013 at the latest.
The increased capacity will be achieved by expanding existing production plants; this is the second increase in Neopor capacity at the Ludwigshafen site within three years. The international trend towards highly efficient insulating materials, particularly for use in external envelopes, continues apace.
“We are investing in our plants so that we can extend our market leadership in gray EPS insulating materials even further,” said Dr Giorgio Greening, Head, Global Foams business unit, BASF.
Thermal insulation is demonstrably a major factor in reducing CO2 emissions, which has meant that in recent years energy-saving regulations have become increasingly stringent globally. Neopor is used both in new and in renovated buildings and so makes a significant contribution towards climate protection. In Germany, around 30 per cent of all EPS-based insulating materials are used in new buildings, with 70 per cent going into the renovation of older buildings. This is set to rise to 75 per cent by 2012.
(C) WOC News