basf

The German multinational company Basf announced on Tuesday it will invest €21 million to expand one of the plants it has in the area of Tarragona, in Southern Catalonia. Basf operates several plants in the Tarragona area, which is Spain's main centre for the petro-chemical industry and one of the most important ones at European level. The investment announced this Tuesday is the largest made by the Spanish division of the German multinational in a single plant in many years, confirmed the company. The centre producing the innovative liquid fungicides for sustainable agriculture will extend its facilities and increase production capacity of these fungicides for high performance crops. Once the work is completed, the company will add 30 workers to its staff. Basf expects the expansion work to end and the new production line to be fully operational by the end of next year.

German chemical multinational BASF does not expect to launch its intermodal merchant station in Tarragona's petro-chemical compound until early 2017, two years after it initially forecast. The date of commissioning, as recognised by the company, is conditioned by the start of construction of the third rail connecting the railway line in Tarragona to the Mediterranean Railway Corridor (a strategic transport priority for the European Union), an infrastructure the Spanish Government keeps delaying. Although there is currently no start date for construction, BASF has set up the company ‘Combiterminal Catalonia SL’: a 'joint venture' with Contank SA, Hoyer España SA, and Schmidt Holding GmbH and Tradillo Inversiones SL (Pañalón Group) collaborating to build and operate the station.

The German multinational BASF distanced themselves from the manifesto issued on Tuesday by 60 German businesspeople, including BASF CEO in Spain, against Catalan independence. BASF stated that they “will is to continue [their] activities in Catalonia”, as “proven” by their “more than €30 million investment” made in 2013. The manifesto against independence stated it would have “dreadful consequences” on the Catalan economy. BASF replied they “did not intend to influence or intervene in political debates”, adding that they “respect the laws of the countries in which [they] operate”. The German company “deeply” lamented, along with its CEO Erwin Rauhe, that the company’s name had been used in the presentation of the manifesto against independence, called ‘Declaration of Barcelona’.

Multinational companies, railway operators, port authorities and government representatives met in the European Parliament to demand a boost of goods transportation by rail in Europe. They are pushing for the use of longer and heavier trains, able to transport more goods at a lower cost, with the consequent increase in competitiveness. These trains would circulate along specific corridors, such as the Mediterranean Railway Corridor, which will link the Gibraltar area with Central and Northern Europe passing through Spain’s Mediterranean ports and main industrial centres. The lobby organising the event, FERRMED, complained about the absence of representatives from the Spanish Government’s train operators.

The multinational chemical company explains that they would invest more money if the Mediterranean Railway Corridor were already a reality. This infrastructure is being delayed by the Spanish Government and it would enable the transportation of freight on international standard width railway from Catalan ports to Central Europe, and vice versa.

The world’s leader chemical company is planning to invest 12 million euros in its Tarragona plant, the largest one in southern Europe. BASF Spain has its headquarters in Tarragona, and concentrates most of its plants and offices in Catalonia.

The German chemical company will concentrate its production in Madrid and Guadalajara. BASF will also restructure its sales, marketing and administrations departments, also located close to Barcelona, in l’Hospitalet de Llobregat.

The multinational chemical company, with a strong presence in Catalonia, increases sales in Spain in the first quarter of 2010 despite the effects of the economic crisis in the construction and automobile sectors.