BASF to set up chemical production site in India for polymer dispersions for coatings.

BASF India Limited will invest [pounds sterling]150 million to set up a new chemical production site at the Dahej Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR), located on the west coast of India in Gujarat.

The new site will be an integrated huh for polyurethane manufacturing and will also house production facilities for care chemicals and polymer dispersions for coatings and paper. With this new production site, BASF will serve local supply for growing markets such as appliances, footwear, automotive, construction, adhesives, architectural coatings, paper and personal care. The start of production is planned for 2014.

The integrated polyurethane facility will produce Elastollan TPU (thermo-plastic polyurethane), Cellasto NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) parts and polyurethane systems, which is supported by new production facilities for important precursors, comprising polyetherols and polyesterols plants as well as a plant for processing crude MDT (diphenylmethane diisocyanate).

The care chemicals facility at the new Dahej site will produce surfactants largely for home and personal care. These surfactants will also add value to formulation technology applications including agrochemicals, textiles and emulsion polymerization.

The polymer dispersions facility at the site will produce Acronal and Styrofan, key ingredients for architectural coatings, adhsives, and construction, Styronal and Basonal for paper coating and Basoplast for sizing. BASE currently produces dispersions at an existing plant in Mangalore.