BASF to invest further in vitamins

BASF, the German chemicals giant, announced recently that it will build newvitamins capacity in Europe and expand its plants, providing it withfacilities in the region capable of supplying the global market. Following itsacquisition of Takeda's vitamins business earlier this year, BASF plans toexpand its plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany, for fat-soluble vitamins A and E.It is also investing in a unit at Ludwigshafen for the production of acoenzyme for the manufacture of vitamin B5.The company may also expand its European capacity for vitamin C, which itmakes at Grena, Denmark. In addition, BASF plans to build a new vitamin B6plant in Europe at a location yet to be decided. As part of a Euro 600million ($530 million) global investment program in vitamins, BASF plans toexpand its vitamin B2 capacity in Kunsan, South Korea. The company may alsobuild a vitamin C plant in Asia. With the global vitamins industry growingat a minimum rate of 4 percent per year, BASF claims vitamins are high-volumeproducts that require world-scale plants featuring sophisticated technologies.