BASF has expanded capacity for ethylene oxide (EO) and derivatives at its verbund site in Antwerp, adding 400,000 tonnes/year in total. The €500 million+ investment comprises a second world-scale EO plant, including capacity for purified EO and alkoxylates. About 100 new jobs have been created.

BASF has announced plans to boost its global capacity for alkyl polyglucosides (APGs) by expanding its sites in Bangpakong, Thailand, and Cincinnati, Ohio, just as it also adding alkoxylation capacities in Antwerp and Ludwigshafen (pictured). Both investments are within the Care Chemicals division.

Petronas Chemicals (PCG) has acquired PCC’s 50% stake in its Malaysian unit, PCC Oxyalkylates Malaysia. CEO Datuk Sazali Hamzah called this “another milestone for PCG in our quest to develop the group’s specialty chemicals business segment”.

PCG and German-based surfactants producer PCC are already planning an oxyalkylates facility at the Kerteh integrated petrochemical complex in Terengganu (pictured above), plus a joint R&D centre. This is due to begin construction in 2021 and enter production in 2023.