BASF to start up new laboratory

BASF has announced that it will start-up a new multi-million euro fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts testing and research laboratory at the hte Aktiengesellschaft (hte) facility in Heidelberg, Germany. hte is a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF SE and a leading provider of high throughput technology and services for enhancing research and development productivity.

The new BASF laboratory will begin operating in the first half of 2014, and will be used for hydrocarbon and FCC equilibrium catalysts standard analysis and characterization, FCC catalysts process methodology testing and related research activities, providing quality data to BASF and its customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The opening of the Heidelberg laboratory will increase the service capabilities offered by BASF’s existing FCC catalysts laboratory in Iselin, New Jersey, and will enable the company to better serve customers across all regions of the world.

“We are proud that BASF’s Catalysts team has decided to install this new laboratory at our Heidelberg site,” said Wolfram Stichert, Ph.D., CEO at hte. “We look forward to adding value to this operation by leveraging our extensive know-how in refinery catalysts testing and analysis.”

“With the development of tight oil in the North American market, new opportunities and challenges are being faced by the industry which will require increased capabilities and service delivery from catalysts suppliers,” said Herbert Exner, BASF Vice President, Refinery Catalysts & Technologies. “Through this investment, BASF is addressing this need, and taking an active role to fortify its position as the premier service provider to the refining market.”  

Vas Vergopoulos, Ph.D., BASF’s Director, Refining Catalysts Sales and Technical Services, Europe, added, “Our investment at hte goes beyond adding laboratory capacity and focuses on the development of world-class testing methodologies. This is another example of BASF's commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology and services to help drive our customers’ profitability and success.”

BASF is currently one of the top three producers of FCC catalysts worldwide and leads the market in the United States.