Schütz, a global leader in the production of industrial transport packaging, today (September 14) officially started work on the production facility and logistics centre for Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) at global chemicals company BASF’s plant in Germany.
The traditional groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of this project, with an investment of over 40 million euros. The project strengthens local, strategic security of supply, whilst promoting energy efficiency and an active circular economy, and sustainably reduces CO₂ emissions by significantly cutting down the number of truck transports. The project commissioning is planned for summer 2027.
“Today’s groundbreaking ceremony sends a strong signal for Ludwigshafen as an industrial location. Schütz’s investment shows that our location has a future and that companies see long-term prospects here. Connecting production, logistics and industrial value creation through short distances and close partnerships strengthens the competitiveness and future of our industry,” remarked Prof. Dr Klaus Blettner, Mayor of Ludwigshafen, while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony.
The new Schütz production and logistics complex will come up on a 20,000 sq m area directly adjacent to BASF’s main plant in Ludwigshafen.
The project not only secures supply reliability for BASF’s main plant but also for other industrial customers in the Rhine-Neckar region.
The new Schütz facility will include state-of-the-art manufacturing areas for IBC production, an adjacent packaging warehouse, as well as office and social spaces. In various expansion phases, Schütz will initially create 60 and later up to 100 new jobs at the site, it added.
Proximity as a strategic advantage
Schütz’s new production and logistics centre is specifically designed to provide BASF’s main plant with long-term, reliable industrial packaging supply. From order processing and production planning to the supply of numerous unloading points within BASF – thanks to the state-of-the-art IT infrastructure, all process steps are controlled digitally and fully automatically.
At the same time, the direct delivery connection from the Schütz plant to the neighbouring BASF site ensures short delivery routes and logistics processes, high supply efficiency and an annual saving of around 1.5 million truck km.
"The strength of our Ludwigshafen integrated site lies in the close connection between production, infrastructure and logistics. With Schütz’s new facility, this principle is being consistently advanced," says Helmut Winterling, President European Integrated Sites, BASF SE.
"At the same time, closely coordinated logistics processes enhance the responsiveness of our value chains and provide the basis for an efficient, long-term supply to our production facilities," stated Winterling.
The partnership between Schütz and BASF dates back to the 1960s.
Roland Straßburger, CEO of the Schütz Group, said: “This project with BASF is a clear win-win investment – benefiting our customers, the environment and Schütz. The new site in Ludwigshafen is not only another chapter in this long-standing success story but also a forward-looking signal for highly efficient logistics and a committed circular economy.”
Sustainability built into the design
In developing the new facility, Schütz places great emphasis on climate protection and the responsible use of energy and resources.
This approach is embedded in the overall production design: from plant technology with state-of-the-art welding systems through every individual process step to logistics, the entire plant is consistently designed for energy efficiency.
A key contribution comes from the company’s own equipment and machinery, which Schütz develops and manufactures at its global competence centre in Selters in accordance with the latest technical standards.
The company’s extensive technical know-how and strong in-house machinery and plant engineering capabilities provide the foundation for integrating efficiency into all processes from the outset. In addition, a photovoltaic system will generate part of the electricity required on site at the new plant – in line with the company-wide sustainability programme.
The site concept is completed by integration into Schütz’s proven circular economy system, which includes reuse, reconditioning and recycling of used packaging. This new facility aligns with the packaging specialist’s global growth and investment initiatives, combining the latest production standards with ecological responsibility and economic efficiency.-TradeArabia News Service
