BASF realigns caprolactam production in Europe
Four production plants in Ludwigshafen to be fully or partially closed
Caprolactam is the starting material for the plastic polyamide 6. BASF’s polyamide 6 value chain is integrated in the Verbund and ranges from precursors such as ammonia to engineering plastics used, for example, in the growing automotive and electrical industries market.
The aim of this measure is to further strengthen BASF’s polyamide 6 value chain in a difficult market environment. “The realigned production structure will further enhance our competitiveness,” said Joachim Queisser, head of the European business unit Polyamides and Precursors at BASF. “At the same time, it gives us greater flexibility in managing our capacities. As a result, we can respond even better to changing market conditions.”
The measures will affect around 80 employees in Ludwigshafen, all of whom will be offered new jobs at the site.
In 2013, BASF had adjusted its production capacity for adipic acid, a precursor for the plastic polyamide 6.6, by more than 20 percent to 210,000 metric tons annually in response to a changing business environment.
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