BASF in Korea starts to supply biomass balanced MDI, paving the way for a sustainable MDI value chain

• BASF Korea to provide MDI products with significantly improved carbon footprint compared to products solely based on conventional feedstock
• BASF’s Yeosu site is the first production site in Korea to deliver biomass balanced MDI
• BASF aims to set up a more sustainable isocyanates value chain to cater to the sustainability needs of the rapidly growing market in Asia

Yeosu, Korea / October 12, 2023 – BASF announced that its Yeosu site in Korea has successfully produced the first biomass balanced (BMB) methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). This milestone development underlines BASF’s commitment to building a more sustainable MDI value chain.

MDI is a key component in the production of polyurethane, which is widely used in industries such as automotive, construction, and electronics. Traditionally, MDI is produced from fossil-based raw materials. With the increasing global demand for sustainable solutions, BASF has now developed biomass balanced MDI, made with biomass-balanced benzene. At the beginning of the production chain, the renewable feedstock needed to produce the biomass balanced benzene has been fed into the production system. A corresponding share of the renewable feedstock is then attributed to the MDI by means of a certified mass balance method. Certification of BASF’s biomass balanced products is carried out according to recognized standards like REDcert2 or ISCC PLUS*.  Using renewable raw material in the production system helps improve the product carbon footprint (PCF) of our customers along the value chain in comparison to the regular MDI solely based on conventional feedstock.

“The biomass balanced MDI is an important step in our journey towards a circular economy,” said Claudia Huang, Senior Vice President, Monomers Asia-Pacific, BASF. “We are happy to see our customers in the region willing to join the low-PCF team and collaborate with us to develop high-performance products in a more sustainable way.”

“At Monomers we are committed to provide a circular or low-PCF options for all our major value chains. We therefore certify our assets globally according to ISCC+ and REDcert2. Yeosu is our first Asian MDI production site where we now can produce certified BMB products”, said Jens Aßmann, Vice President Sustainability at BASF Monomers.

Dr. Dschun Song, Managing Director, BASF Company Ltd., also shared his insight: “With the production and supply of BMB MDI to our customers in Asia-Pacific, BASF in Korea further expands its low-PCF product portfolio and is well-positioned to cater the needs of customers in- and outside of Korea.”

The biomass balanced MDI produced at the Yeosu site will be supplied to customers in the Asia Pacific region, further supporting BASF's goal of providing sustainable solutions to meet the growing demands of its customers in the region.

* REDcert2 and ISCC PLUS are standards for the use of sustainable biomass as raw material in the chemical industry. Regarding BASF's biomass balance approach, certification according to these standards confirms that the biomass used is sustainable and has been fed into the production system in the required amount. It also confirms that the sustainable biomass has been correctly attributed to the corresponding sales products. The certifications are awarded on the basis of on-site audits conducted by independent auditors.

About BASF’s Monomers division

The Monomers division supplies a broad portfolio of large-volume monomers, basic polymers and inorganic chemicals. Major products include MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate), TDI (toluene diisocyanate), propylene oxide, caprolactam, adipic acid, hexamethylenediamine, ammonia, polyamide 6 and 6.6, nitric acid, sulfur and chlorine products, inorganic salts, urea, melamine, glues and impregnating resins. The products are used in a broad spectrum of industries, such as the automotive, furniture, construction, woodworking, food, feed, solar, packaging and textile industries. Monomers (basf.com)

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.