BASF and Dow Join Forces

BASF Aktiengesellschaft and The Dow Chemical Company launched a long-term venture to produce propylene oxide (PO) at the world’s first commercial-scale hydrogen peroxide propylene oxide (HPPO) plant at BASF’s site in Antwerp, Belgium. This plant uses a new technology developed jointly by BASF and Dow. PO, according to BASF, is a core ingredient for the US$21 billion a year polyurethane industry. Solvay S.A. will be a key supplier to the facility.

The HPPO plant will be fed with hydrogen peroxide (HP) from a second new plant at the Antwerp site. The HP plant will have a capacity of 230,000 metric tons per year and will be constructed by Solvay, BASF and Dow. The 300,000 metric tons per year HPPO plant, which is being built jointly by BASF and Dow, is scheduled to start up in early 2008.
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