Could you share the most recent investments at BASF in Singapore?

BASF has a presence in Singapore since 1978 and today employs about 500 employees. We operate three production facilities in the country: a plastics additives plant, an electronic materials unit, and a facility for surface treatment specialty chemicals. Additionally, Singapore is home to our Nutrition Application Lab Asia Pacific. As upcoming milestones, this year we will open a new crop protection formulation plant in Singapore to increase growth in our agricultural solutions. Also, this year we are adding another production line at our plastic additives site that will double our global capacity for the Irganox® 1010 antioxidant. This should strengthen our position as a leading supplier of plastic additives.

How has the company performed over the past year?

In 2021, BASF Singapore registered sales of €312 million, over 20% growth compared to 2020. With lockdowns coming to an end, we were able to resume exports and recover quickly. Performance Chemicals and Performance Materials divisions were particularly strong in 2021, supported by oilfield chemicals and plastic additives that are partly produced in Singapore as well as in Malaysia. The first quarters of 2022 announce sustained growth, echoing global sentiment. Supply chain and logistic challenges have given us no break in the last two years and there are little signs of change.

BASF is a co-founder of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (The Alliance). Could you elaborate on its purpose?

The Alliance was co-founded in 2019 with a goal to develop, deploy and scale-up solutions to manage plastic waste. Because it is impossible to move away from plastics, the Alliance encourages reuse, recovery and recycling to make sure these necessary materials do not harm the planet. BASF is engaging with different initiatives, both locally and internationally, as we seek to align our own internal measures with wider-spanning government policies.

What are BASF’s solutions for plastic recycling?

BASF is approaching multiple recycling routes to enable a resource-efficient and carbon-neutral circular economy. Through our innovations in mechanical recycling, we help increase both the volume and quality of recycled products by intervening on those difficult-to-recycle plastics. Through plastic additives, we help improve the properties of PET or polyolefin recyclates, for instance. Within chemical recycling, we incorporate technology partners who use a thermochemical process called pyrolysis to transform plastic waste into secondary raw material that is pryolysis oil. Chemical recycling allows us to recycle plastics that cannot be recycled through the mechanical route; it is also an opportunity to transform waste into new materials with the highest quality standards, proper for use in regulated markets like food or medical packaging. This will further support our customers in achieving their recycling target. Within the scope of organic recycling, we constantly look for new applications of biodegradability – our two flagship examples of biodegradable plastics are ecovio® and ecoflex®.

Can you walk us through BASF’s sustainability vision?

At BASF, we have the solutions to create chemistry for a sustainable future. That is why we have set ourselves ambitious targets along the entire value chain. Internally, we strive towards a net-zero CO2 emissions target by 2050. We also want to achieve €22 million sales by 2025 globally from our Accelerator products. We define Accelerators as products that make a substantial sustainability contribution in the value chain. Using the Sustainable Solutions Steering method, we have assessed more than 57,000 solutions. Thereof, 16,000 are Accelerator solutions. While pushing innovation in more sustainable products, we do not hesitate to phase out products with proven sustainability concerns.

What are your views on the future of Singapore as a chemicals hub?

Together with Hong Kong and Shanghai, Singapore is one of our regional bases in the region. Singapore is also a strategic key market for our key customers and business decision-makers. The country offers best-in-class infrastructure and vast talent. The government supports the development of value-added products and sustainable products, as well as targeting industries like biopharma and nutrition, much in line with our own priorities. Then, Singapore is also well-positioned by APAC-centric location, APAC representing almost 50% of chemical markets globally. Singapore has long taken the role of a leader, setting an example for driving legislations and attracting the right people. I believe Singapore will continue to be one of the region’s leading energy and chemicals hub.