Another project group of BASF Zhanjiang Integrated Base starts construction!

At the BASF Zhanjiang Integrated Base, another project group has started construction! The project group mainly includes neopentyl glycol (NPG) and citral (Citral) plants.

Stijn Brughmans (seventh from left), vice president of BASF, in charge of operations and technology of the Intermediates Business Unit in Asia Pacific, and Tobias Gerber (sixth from right), vice president of BASF, in charge of asset management and investment of the Nutrition and Health Division, attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

World-scale NPG installation

BASF strengthens the global layout of neopentyl glycol. This new NPG plant with an annual output of 80,000 tons is expected to be put into operation in the fourth quarter of 2025. By then, BASF’s global NPG annual production capacity will increase to 335,000 tons.

Currently, BASF has NPG production facilities in Nanjing and Jilin, China, Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Freeport, USA. The fifth NPG plant invested in Zhanjiang will help support the growing market demand of Chinese customers, especially in the field of environmentally friendly powder coatings. At the same time, it will also bring BASF closer to customers in South China and further strengthen business contacts.

As an intermediate with high chemical and thermal stability, NPG is mainly used in the production of polyester resin for powder coatings, which can be applied to the coating of household appliances and window frames. Due to the low volatile organic compound (VOC) content of powder coatings, it can help customers meet VOC emission standards. Compared with solvent-based coatings, VOC emissions can be reduced by up to 50%. NPG is also used in the manufacture of lubricants, plasticizers and pharmaceuticals.

Citral device

The program also includes a citral plant. Earlier this month, BASF announced that it would invest in a new citral plant at its integrated base in Zhanjiang, China, and build a new downstream plant for menthol and linalool at its integrated base in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The units are expected to be commissioned from 2026 onwards.

The impetus for this investment comes from the growing demand in the global flavor and fragrance market and BASF’s strong commitment to sustainable development transformation.

The citral plant in China will strengthen BASF’s market position in key growth regions and expand the production scale of various aroma raw materials and more downstream products globally. At the same time, this investment will expand the production scale of BASF’s fragrance raw material citral value chain in Germany and Malaysia, realize production diversification, and support customer growth.

After the investment is completed, BASF’s annual production capacity of citral will increase to 118,000 tons. Citral is the basic material of many fragrances and essences, and it is also the upstream raw material of vitamin A, vitamin E and other products in the nutrition market.