BASF Opens World-Scale HMD Plant in France
BASF has announced the successful startup of its new world-scale hexamethylenediamine (HMD) plant in Chalampé, France, construction of which began in 2022. The plant increases BASF’s annual HMD production capacity to 260,000 metric tons.
“This investment underlines BASF’s strong commitment to chemical production in Europe and our determination to support regional growth. It is yet another example of how we put our ‘Winning Ways’ strategy into action to create long-term value for our company and secure our future competitiveness in a volatile economic environment,” said Stephan Kothrade, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF.
The plant is an essential component of BASF’s strategic path forward in its polyamide (PA) 6.6 business in Europe. In addition to starting up the new HMD plant, the company is in the final stage of expanding its PA 6.6 production in Freiburg, Germany.
“The successful completion of this investment project is a significant step towards our goal of being the leading supplier for HMD and the preferred partner for PA 6.6 in Europe,” said Ramkumar Dhruva, President of BASF’s Monomers division. “Through the new HMD production plant in Chalampé and the expanded PA 6.6 polymerization in Freiburg, we are ideally positioned to supply our customers reliably with high-quality products.”
BASF’s site in the Alsace region of France benefits from its proximity to key raw materials and established industrial infrastructure, supporting the production and supply of HMD. HMD is an important precursor in the manufacture of PA 6.6 polymers and coatings, which are used in sectors such as automotive and fiber production.
