Efficient processes for Companies and the environment

When developing and manufacturing our products, we rely on efficient processes. This pays off for the company and the environment. We contribute to the success of the company by achieving higher product yields in our plants. That’s also easier on the environment: We use fewer resources and reduce both emissions and waste.

BASF has achieved a lot in recent decades with end-of-pipe environmental technologies. Examples include filters to reduce emissions and the more than 50 wastewater treatment plants we operate worldwide. Many of our environmental protection measures, however, are at a much earlier stage of the production process during the development of products and processes.

Innovation-integrated environmental protection

Environmental protection plays a central role when BASF researchers develop new products: A high-quality product must be environ-mentally compatible if it is to be accepted by our customers. Economic efficiency and environmental protection are therefore closely interlinked when we develop innovative processes. Our knowledge means that BASF's specialists are valued as partners in promoting environmentally friendly technologies in emerging economies.

Production-integrated environmental protection

Along with the desired end products, chemical processes usually also generate by-products. It pays to reduce or recycle these. Right from the plant planning stage we therefore pay special attention to ensuring that any by-products are avoided or optimally recycled. Wherever we can, we also improve existing processes, and not only our own but those of our customers, too. For example, we developed an optimized recycling procedure for N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC), which our customers use as a solvent in the production of spandex fibers. The new procedure makes it possible to recover DMAC in a high quality and at the same time minimizes solvent losses.

Business case: Production Verbund

Waste management

Worldwide, BASF produced approximately 1.93 million metric tons of waste in 2007 (2006: 1.50 million metric tons). Oil and gas exploration accounted for 232,000 metric tons. Around 43 percent of our waste was recycled or subjected to thermal recovery. The remainder was disposed of by incineration (40 percent), land filling (44 percent), or underground storage (16 percent). In line with the customary international categories, 589,000 metric tons of the waste we disposed of was classified as "hazardous" and 509,000 metric tons as "non-hazardous." We are working to further reduce the amount of waste we produce and improve recycling.

One example is the Tamol^® plant at the Ludwigshafen site, where aqueous solutions of this dispersant and tanning agent are dried in a stream of hot air at 250 C (482 F) to produce fine powders. Until now, natural gas was generally used to heat the air. Another production plant in the facility generates a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons as a by-product that is otherwise not utilizable. This waste material is now used as an energy source for the drying process, thus reducing the consumption of natural gas.

Safeguarding energy supplies for production sites

Without our Energy Verbund, the total energy needed to generate electricity and steam in BASF's power plants would be about 56 percent higher at approximately 4.4 million metric tons of oil equivalent. The Verbund is one of our prime strengths in ensuring the efficient use of resources. It therefore offers us a crucial competitive advantage, while also having a positive impact on the environment.

We increasingly use combined heat and power (CHP) plants to generate both heat and steam. Such cogeneration plants are an extremely effective means of supplying energy and, with an overall fuel efficiency of almost 90 percent, are the front-runners among energy conversion methods suitable for use on an industrial scale. BASF currently operates 16 cogeneration plants worldwide. Partner companies at BASF sites operate another seven gas turbine plants with steam cogeneration, mainly to supply BASF. Our new CHP power plant in Ludwigshafen started operations in June 2005. The new plant reduces CO₂ emissions by more than 500,000 metric tons per year.

Using renewable raw materials

We replace fossil raw materials with renewable raw materials wherever it makes technological, economic and environmental sense to do so.

In 2007, we used 33.0 million MWh of fossil and residual fuels worldwide to generate electricity and steam in our central power plants. The amount of primary fuels used (28.3 million MWh) corresponds to 69 percent of the total primary fuel used to generate energy for the BASF Group. Primarily by means of cogeneration technology, 9.5 million MWhel of electrical power and 22.1 million metric tons of steam were generated. Compared with conventional generation of electricity and steam, the use of cogeneration saved approximately 10.8 million MWh of fossil fuels. BASF's total electricity requirements amounted to 15.0 million MWhel. A total of 52.6 million metric tons of steam was provided by steam networks.

Energy balance of the BASF Group 2007

Chart: Energy balance of the BASF Group 2007

Renewable energies

Our sites require a reliable energy supply at a reasonable price if they are to remain globally competitive. Renewable energies can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and their use is CO₂ neutral. In order for renewable energies to take a permanent place in our energy mix, they need to be competitive and be able to exist without subsidies.

More Knowledge about Our Products

We assume responsibility for the safety of our products and want to ensure that they do not endanger people or the environment. This is why we provide customers, end consumers and the public with detailed information and work continuously to broaden our information basis.

In the past years, we have generated the base data sets for more than 93 percent of the substances we produce worldwide. In all regions, we are comparing product portfolios and identifying substances for which data are incomplete. We analyze these substances and close the gaps on an ongoing basis. The global workshop that we hold every spring is designed to allow the exchange of information on all aspects of product safety and helps establish uniform standards worldwide.

We want to extend our substance data worldwide. By the end of 2008, we want to complete minimum data sets for all substances that are handled by BASF in quantities of more than 1 metric ton per year.

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