BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) has inaugurated a new plant in Düsseldorf, Germany, to produce specialty emollients, particularly for skin care and sun protection products. With this investment in the mid double-digit million-euro range, BASF is strategically expanding its capacity for these specialty products to meet growing market demand.
Together with numerous customers and representatives from politics, the City of Düsseldorf and industry associations, BASF management representatives marked the successful completion of this ambitious project.
Agus Ciputra, head of BASF’s global Personal Care business unit, emphasized the significance for the company: “The new plant is more than an investment in production. It is an investment in our expertise and in our ability to help customers bring differentiated products to market. By expanding our production capacity for specialty emollients based on renewable raw materials, we are laying the foundation for innovative personal care solutions that meet evolving consumer expectations for performance, formulation flexibility and sustainability.”
Sven Crone, who is globally responsible for production in the Care Chemicals division, underlined the importance of the investment for the site and the achievement of everyone involved: “We are convinced that our Düsseldorf production site is well positioned for the future, and we are taking decisive steps to secure its competitiveness. This capacity expansion is one of the strongest signals of that commitment. From planning and regulatory approval to the construction phase, we overcame many challenges and, thanks to the excellent collaboration among all those involved, were able to commission the plant after only two years of construction. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed.”
Emollients bind and help retain skin moisture while improving the sensory profile of personal care products. BASF’s Düsseldorf production site specializes in ingredients for the cosmetics and personal care industry. It already offers the most comprehensive emollients portfolio and is now further strengthening its position through this capacity expansion.
Düsseldorf is BASF’s third-largest site in Europe and, at the same time, the company’s largest site worldwide for the production and development of cosmetic ingredients.