BASF to produce XPS boards only at one site in Germany

By the end of 2017, German chemical firm BASF says it will concentrate the production of XPS boards (extruded polystyrene) at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. It will no longer produce XPS at its Schwarzheide location in Germany by the fourth quarter of this year, due to overcapacities and low margins. There will be no compulsory redundancies, it says.

The above move, BASF says, will ensure the direct supply of raw materials, optimised logistics, and direct access to R&D facilities.

“We are implementing this measure to make sure that we remain competitive in those markets in which we are able to generate added value for our customers and for BASF in the long term”, says Klaus Ries, Head of Global Business Management Styrenic Foams at BASF.

“Going forward, the full XPS product range will be available from one location, thus substantially improving our service to customers. Thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities and following numerous debottlenecking measures, Ludwigshafen offers sufficient production capacity to guarantee profitable growth.” The welding technology developed for use on insulation boards that is currently in operation at the BASF location in Schwarzheide will be transferred to Ludwigshafen and operated from this location. This contactless, thermal welding process not only enables the manufacture of particularly thick XPS boards (BASF trade name Styrodur), but also paves the way for a variety of interesting material combinations for the insulation material solutions of the future.