Key Points – BASF’s new Zhanjiang Verbund site in Guangdong has started operations on schedule and below budget, marking the company’s largest single global investment and its biggest investment by a German firm in China. – The site is expected to generate €4 billion to €5…
llion in sales by 2030 and €1 billion to €1.2 billion in EBITDA, with profitability turning positive from 2027 after startup costs fade and utilization ramps up. – BASF is highlighting Zhanjiang as a low-carbon, digitally enabled production hub, powered by 100% renewable energy and designed with flexible feedstocks and AI-driven operations to cut emissions by more than half versus a conventional petrochemical site. Basf (ETR:BAS) executives said the company’s new Zhanjiang Verbund site in Guangdong province has started operations successfully, positioning the German chemicals group for further growth in China while adding a major new production platform built around digitalization, feedstock flexibility and renewable power
Speaking during a virtual deep dive for analysts and investors, Markus Kamieth, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, said Zhanjiang is BASF’s seventh global Verbund site and its first new Verbund opening since Nanjing in 2005. He described the project as BASF’s largest single investment globally and the largest investment by a German company in China. Kamieth said the project was completed on schedule and below the original budget, with startup in early 2026 in line with expectations.
At peak construction, more than 35,000 people from over 150 companies worked at the site. Zhanjiang site expected to generate up to EUR 5 billion in sales by 2030 Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors and Chief Technology Officer, said BASF expects the Zhanjiang Verbund site to generate sales of EUR 4 billion to EUR 5 billion by 2030, equal to roughly 10% of current sales in the company’s core businesses. EBITDA is expected to reach EUR 1 billion to EUR 1.2…