Expansions: Arkema starts up transparent PA unit in Singapore; BASF starts up steam cracker in China

French firm Arkema says that its new Rilsan Clear transparent polyamide (PA) production unit, located on its Singapore platform, is now fully operational.

It adds that this successful start-up represents a major step forward for Arkema, as the new unit triples the group’s global production capacity of Rilsan Clear transparent PA. This investment of around US$20 million, announced in July 2025, is part of the major growth projects in which Arkema has recently invested to support its strategic roadmap on Specialty Materials.

Arkema also says the unit will enable it to meet the growing demand for sustainable high-performance transparent materials across key markets such as eyewear, AR/VR and smart consumer electronics, industrial filtration, healthcare devices and home appliances.

The PAs are said to deliver a unique combination of high performance, aesthetics and sustainability. They offer lightweight, high transparency, flexibility and chemical resistance, while being fully recyclable through Arkema’s Virtucycle program.

Arkema adds it is the leading producer of bio-based transparent polyamides with its flagship grades Rilsan Clear Rnew G850 and G820, which contain respectively 45% and 62% bio-based carbon origin.

With this additional capacity, Arkema furthers that it reaffirms its commitment to supporting customers in Asia and worldwide through resilient and competitive local supply chains, while contributing to the transition toward more sustainable materials.

In other news, Germany’s BASF SAYS IT has commissioned the steam cracker at its newly built site in Zhanjiang in South China as scheduled. It adds this is the first cracker in the world using 100% renewable energy to drive its main compressors (eDrives).

The steam cracker supplies important basic chemicals such as ethylene and propylene to multiple plants on site. It is the starting point for many chemical value chains: long chain hydrocarbons such as naphtha or butane are cracked with the help of steam. The ethylene capacity amounts to 1 million tonnes/year. 

“This important milestone at our Zhanjiang Verbund site significantly strengthens BASF’s diversified value chains in China and positions us well to support customers across a wide range of industries,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE and Chief Technology Officer.

Moreover, following the recent successful start-up of several propylene downstream plants, BASF adds it has brought into operations the plants for ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol as well as polyethylene.

Zhanjiang will be BASF’s third largest Verbund site worldwide after Ludwigshafen and Antwerp and will serve as a model for sustainable production in China and globally.

For example, the site will be supplied with electricity that is 100% from renewable sources.

Products from BASF’s Zhanjiang Verbund site will mainly supply customers in the Chinese market, the largest and fastest growing chemical market in the world.

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