Work on the new state-of-the-art BASF antioxidant blends plant at Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP) was officially inaugurated yesterday (September 13) by Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro.

BASF is one of the leading chemical companies in the world and Dr Fakhro was joined by BASF senior vice-president of plastic additives for Europe John Frijins.

Construction of the new 15,000 sq m facility, being undertaken by Poullaides Construction Company, will be completed by July and the plant commissioned and operational by the end of 2012.

At that time it will be one of the largest plants of its kind in the world with an annual capacity of 16,000 metric tonnes.

It will manufacture a range of customer specific antioxidant blends (CSB) for BASF customers throughout the Middle East with special emphasis on GCC customers.

Dr Fakhro said that BASF's decision to locate this major, new manufacturing investment in Bahrain was a testament to the quality of the location and the competitive advantages Bahrain offers to global investors.

He said that this takes to five the number of German companies that have committed to building facilities at the BIIP.

Siemens and Lauscha Fiber International from Lauscha, near Sonneberg, are both in operation, while RMA Pipeline Equipment Company from Rheinau, near Mannheim, announced details of their plans to build a new engineering facility at the BIIP in July.

Talks are finalised with another major German company to establish a new facility at the BIIP in a joint venture with a Bahraini company.

Dr Fakhro said that the beginning of work on this new facility takes to 51 the number of new facilities that have either commenced operations or have their factories under construction at the BIIP. A further 20 companies are approved and in the pre-construction stage. These 71 companies have associated investment of BD483 million ($1.3 billion) and will create 8,086 jobs.

'This is a considerable investment by BASF worth millions of dinars, reflecting our commitment to the region,' said Frijins. 'The facility will bring latest technology to produce plastic additives, ensuring consistent high quality outputs and international standards,' he added. – TradeArabia News Service