To meet growing demand from China and Asia-Pacific generally, BASF is building its first world-scale chemical catalysts production facility in the region.

The plant at the German group's site in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park at Caojing, China, will produce base metal catalysts, custom catalysts, and adsorbents used in the production of fatty alcohols, sulfuric acid and butanediol and for the removal of impurities from olefins.

Construction will begin during December, with the start of production planned for the fourth quarter of 2016. When operating at full capacity, the plant will create 75 new jobs in Shanghai.

The Caojing facility is designed to provide a strong regional manufacturing base and improved proximity to customers in Asia Pacific, which Detlef Ruff, BASF senior vice president, Process Catalysts & Technologies, said "is the fastest growing region for our base metal and custom catalysts solutions".

The plant is planned to be highly automated and energy efficient, offering room for additional expansion as well as flexibility to adapt to new customer production requirements.

BASF's Catalysts division claims to be the world's leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts.