Site

Photo: BASF Zhanjiang Verbund site by Jan 2024. Credit: BASF 

The BASF Zhanjiang Verbund site operates a comprehensive integrated petrochemical complex with a 1 million metric tons per year ethylene steam cracker as its core, along with multiple downstream production units. The facility followed a phased commissioning approach beginning in 2020, with the main Verbund complex starting up in late 2025 and early 2026.

Core Production Units and Capacities with Start-up Dates

Early Phase Units (2020-2024):

• First preliminary production units: Started 2020​
• Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) unit: January 2024​

Main Verbund Complex (2025-2026):

• Steam Cracker Complex (CRC):
  • Steam cracker: 1,000,000 tonnes/year ethylene - Mechanical completion October 2025, production startup January 2026​
  • C₄ selective hydrogenation unit
  • Cracked gasoline hydrogenation unit
  • Aromatics extraction unit
  • Isobutylene extraction unit
  • PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) unit
• Ethylene Derivatives:
  • Ethylene oxide/Ethylene glycol (EO/EG): 660,000/830,000 tonnes/year (including 20,000 tonnes/year PEO) - Mechanical completion October 2025​
  • Polyethylene (PE): 500,000 tonnes/year high-density polyethylene - Mechanical completion October 2025​
  • Non-ionic surfactants (NIS): 215,000 tonnes/year
• Propylene Derivatives:
  • Glacial acrylic acid Units 1&2 (GAA1&2): 2×190,000 tonnes/year - November 2025​
  • n-Butyl acrylate (nBA): 375,000 tonnes/year (reported as ~400,000 tonnes/year) - Started August 11, 2025, first delivery August 17, 2025​
  • 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA): 100,000 tonnes/year
• Oxo Chemicals and Intermediates:
  • Butanol/Octanol (OXO-C4): 500,000 tonnes/year - Mechanical completion October 2025​
  • Syngas unit: 50,000 Nm³/hour - Mechanical completion October 2025​
  • Neopentyl glycol (NPG): 80,000 tonnes/year - October 2025​
  • Formaldehyde: 110,000 tonnes/year
  • Methanol: 110,000 tonnes/year
  • Citral: 40,000 tonnes/year

Planned Addition:

• Isotridecanol: 30,000 tonnes/year - Planned as surfactant raw material​

The entire complex achieved full operational status by the end of 2025 as planned, with the ethylene cracker becoming the world's first steam cracker with 100% renewable energy-powered main compressors when it started up in January 2026.