News Release

P103/19e
January 10, 2019

Innovations for a climate-friendly chemical production
 BASF pursuing ambitious Carbon Management program, with R&D
activities opening up new possibilities
 Research Press Conference presents four groundbreaking projects for
CO2-reduced future production processes
Ludwigshafen – January 10, 2019 – Climate protection is firmly embedded inBASF’s new corporate strategy. A central goal of this strategy is to achieve CO2neutral growth until 2030. To accomplish this, BASF is continuously optimizing
existing processes, gradually replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sourcesand developing radically new low-emission production processes. The company isbundling all of this work in an ambitious Carbon Management program. Today,BASF presents the latest research findings on these new processes as well as
innovative, climate-friendly products at its Research Press Conference inLudwigshafen.
“To reach the climate protection targets, a large-scale reduction in CO2 emissions
will be necessary. As a raw material, CO2 is only suitable in selected applications
and such uses will therefore not make a decisive contribution to slowing climatechange,” stressed Dr. Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the Board of Executive
Directors and Chief Technology Officer of BASF SE. In the past decades, thecompany has already avoided considerable CO2 emissions by optimizing its
production processes and increasing efficiency. Since 1990, BASF has reduced its
greenhouse gas emissions by 50% while doubling its production volumes in thesame period. “Achieving another significant reduction in CO2 emissions will requireMedia Relations
Christian Böhme
Phone: +49 621 60-20130
christian.boehme@basf.com

BASF SE67056 Ludwigshafen
www.basf.com
presse.kontakt@basf.com

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entirely new technologies, which is why BASF has launched an ambitious R&Dprogram,” said Brudermüller.
Because energy is needed to perform chemical reactions, fossil fuels are the largest
source of CO2 in the chemical industry. BASF’s steam crackers, for example, mustreach a temperature of 850°C in order to break down naphtha into olefins andaromatics for further processing. If this energy could come from renewable electricity
instead of the natural gas typically used now, CO2 emissions could be dramaticallyreduced by as much as 90%. BASF therefore aims to develop the world’s firstelectrical heating concept for steam crackers within the next five years. At the sametime, material testing will be necessary to determine which metallic materials canwithstand the high electrical currents and are suitable for use in this type of hightemperature reactor.
The production of hydrogen also releases significant volumes of CO2. The chemicalindustry uses large quantities of hydrogen as a reactant. At BASF, for instance, it isused in ammonia synthesis. Hydrogen will also be essential for many sustainableenergy carrier and energy storage applications in the future. Together withcooperation partners, BASF is therefore developing a new process technology toproduce hydrogen from natural gas. This technology splits natural gas directly into
its components hydrogen and carbon. The resulting solid carbon can potentially beused in steel or aluminum production, for example. This methane pyrolysis process
requires comparatively little energy. If this energy comes from renewable sources,hydrogen can be produced on an industrial scale without CO 2 emissions.
Development of new catalysts is vital to successAs a central, high-volume intermediate, olefins represent an especially importantarea where BASF is looking to develop new low-emission processes. The
considerable CO2 emissions resulting from current production methods in the steam
cracker could also be significantly reduced through “dry reforming” of methane. This
process creates a syngas which is then transformed into olefins via an intermediatestep of dimethyl ether. BASF researchers have now been able to find a way to do
this for the first time thanks to new, high-performance catalyst systems. These newgeneration catalysts are being marketed in cooperation with Linde. Depending on
the availability of raw materials and renewable electricity, this innovative process
could then be a complement or alternative to the potential electrical heating of steam
crackers.

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BASF is also presenting a new approach for using CO 2 as a chemical feedstock:
the production of sodium acrylate from ethylene and CO2. Sodium acrylate is an
important starting material for superabsorbents, which are widely used in diapers
and other hygiene products. A few years ago, researchers at the BASF-supportedCatalysis Research Laboratory (CaRLa) at the University of Heidelberg were able
for the first time to successfully close the catalyst cycle for this reaction. In themeantime, BASF experts have made important progress in scaling up this process
to industrial scale and have demonstrated that it can be successfully implemented
at laboratory scale in a mini plant. Compared to the current propylene-based
production method for superabsorbents, in the new process CO 2 would replacearound 30% of the fossil fuels, provided that a larger-scale process also proves tobe stable and energetically favorable.
Commitment to cutting-edge research in the global Know-How Verbund
The four projects presented are representative of the unique portfolio of topics
addressed by BASF’s research activities, which also include work on
groundbreaking innovative leaps. BASF aims to maintain its research anddevelopment expenditures at the high level of previous years. These expenditures
amounted to €1,888 million in 2017, and the figure for 2018 will be published at theAnnual Press Conference at the end of February. BASF’s research pipeline includes
around 3,000 projects, which are being worked on by more than 11,000 employees
in research and development worldwide. An important component of the Know-How
Verbund is the network of R&D collaborations with excellent universities, research
institutes and companies.

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success withenvironmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF
Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every
country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, IndustrialSolutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated salesof more than €60 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS),London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

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Forward-looking statements and forecasts
This release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current estimatesand projections of the Board of Executive Directors and currently available information. Forwardlooking statements are not guarantees of the future developments and results outlined therein. Theseare dependent on a number of factors; they involve various risks and uncertainties; and they arebased on assumptions that may not prove to be accurate. BASF does not assume any obligation toupdate the forward-looking statements contained in this release above and beyond the legal
requirements.