BASF's Performance Materials Division Plants in Europe will run Entirely on Renewable Electricity.

On January 1, 2025, BASF’s Performance Materials division fully transitioned all its European sites to renewable electricity. “As BASF, we want to enable our customers green transformation, and we believe it starts with us. This is our ambition and the goal of #OurPlasticsJourney,” said Martin Jung, President of BASF’s Performance Materials division. “The use of electricity from renewable sources such as wind or solar is necessary to achieve our climate targets. ”The changeover applies to the compounding of Engineering Plastics, Polyurethanes and Thermoplastic Polyurethanes and Specialty Polymers. With the turn of the year, in total nine Performance Materials production sites across Europe have been converted.

Renewable electricity also plays a key role throughout the value chain, including supplier selection. For Example, BASF Performance Materials sources glass fibers for plastic reinforcement from 3B Fibreglass, a supplier that generates electricity using solar panels, significantly lowering its carbon emissions. This reduced CO₂ footprint is passed on to BASF’s products and, ultimately, to its customers. Similar improvements will be implemented across BASF’s value chain, including the production of base polymers and other precursors for Engineering Plastics and Polyurethanes. “Ludwigshafen, as the world’s largest integrated chemical complex, cannot switch completely to renewable electricity from one day to the next. Our own combined cycle gas power plants produce electricity and process steam with a 95% efficiency at emissions far below the average grid level. The switch at this site has to be done gradually and we, at Performance Materials, are a leading part of this transformation,” adds Alexander Weiser, Senior Vice President, Head of BASF Performance Materials Europe.

Over the next few years, BASF plans to gradually transition all its global operations to renewable electricity. This shift will be driven by major renewable energy projects.

One example is the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm, the world’s largest, jointly owned by BASF and Vattenfall, which began operations in 2023. It supports the deployment of innovative, emission-free technologies at multiple production sites across Europe. Additionally, BASF’s Schwarzheide site, the company’s second largest in Germany, now incorporates 24 megawatts of solar energy capacity. “However, renewable electricity is not the only lever for reducing CO2 emissions. Green steam made from the electrification of processes and the use of alternative raw materials via the mass balance approach play an essential role in the transformation towards a sustainable chemical industry,” adds Jung. 

BASF aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 (compared to 2018) and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. To reach this ambitious goal, the company is expanding its use of renewable energy, optimizing raw material sourcing and production processes, and advancing the circular economy.

Source: BASF