Expansions: Celanese opens two technical centres in India; BASF inaugurates second dispersions production line in China

Specialty materials firm Celanese Corporation has opened two new facilities: the India Technical Centre in Silvassa and a new Shared Service Centre in Hyderabad. Both facilities will allow the employee teams in India to better support both local customers as well as global employees through a range of capabilities.

The tech centre brings together application development, testing and analytics capabilities designed to support the growth of its customers in India and provide services to Celanese global teams.

Owen Liu, Asia Pacific Technology and Innovation Leader, explained “This centre will help speed up development of new and emerging applications while enabling quick responses to our customers’ new product development and application related queries.”

The new Shared Service Centre in Hyderabad, India is housed in a modern building designed with emphasis on providing a bright and ergonomic workspace for its employees. The almost 20,000 sq ft office features collaborative spaces, facilities that foster inclusion and can seat nearly 450 people, including the 290 colleagues already employed there.

In other news, German materials firm BASF has inaugurated its second polymer dispersions production line at the Daya Bay site in Huizhou, China. This expansion directly responds to the rapidly growing local demand for dispersions and provide support to various industries, including paints, construction, packaging, adhesives, it adds.

The plant’s strategic location near raw material suppliers shortens delivery lead times. This enhances BASF’s competitiveness and agility in meeting customer needs. With its augmented production capacity, the plant will continue to provide comprehensive support to various industries, including paints, construction, packaging and adhesives.

Andreas Fechtenkoetter, Senior Vice President, Dispersions Asia Pacific, BASF, elaborated on the company's strategy for expanding production capacity, "Both existing demand and the expansion of our product offerings drive our growth. For instance, in addition to architectural and construction coatings, we have expanded our product portfolio to cater to the battery industry. Our Licity and Basonal Power products are essential anode binders for lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, expanding our production capacity is crucial to meet the increasing demand for batteries in China and the wider Asia Pacific region. It also elucidates the rationale behind the name change in March, transitioning from BASF Paper Chemicals Huizhou to BASF Specialty Material Huizhou, a move intended to encompass the broader range of product offerings."

Meanwhile, it will promote its pioneering proprietary IO-Hybrid Technology. “This technology goes beyond the product's basic functions, delivering additional benefits to customers and end users. Using interior wall coatings featuring IO-Hybrid Technology enhances opacity, resulting in superior interior design aesthetics, and provides antimicrobial properties within 24 hours. Furthermore, this innovative technology eliminates the need for customers to add in-can biocide to paints, thereby reducing VOC emissions,” said Mirian Tiemi Zanchetta-Sbragia, Vice President, Business Management, Dispersions Asia Pacific, BASF.

Since its establishment in 2012, the Daya Bay plant has played an important role in supporting growth in Southern China.

The groundbreaking for its second production line took place in Q4 2022. As of Q2 2024, the new production line is fully operational, further reinforcing BASF's dedication to driving innovation and meeting the evolving needs of industries worldwide.

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