An explosion occurs at Germany's largest chemical plant BASF
Management claims fire extinguished, circumstances of explosion under investigation
On Monday, 29 July, an explosion occurred at the main plant of the German chemical concern BASF in Ludwigshafen. 14 employees of the company were slightly injured and taken to the factory clinic, the company said. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, DW reports.
The fire was extinguished by the company's fire service. Witnesses reported a cloud of black smoke rising above the plant.
Monitoring showed an elevated level of hydrocarbons in the air on the plant's territory and in the surrounding areas. The company assures that the emissions are not dangerous. However, the local fire service urged local residents to close windows and turn off ventilation systems and air conditioners.
BASF is the world's largest chemical concern that produces products for agriculture, pharmaceuticals, construction and other areas. At the beginning of the year, BASF announced additional cost-saving measures at its Ludwigshafen plant. The goal was to reduce annual production costs by more than €2 billion by the end of 2026.
At this time, ammonia and fertiliser production volumes had already been reduced. It was expected that by 2026, the plant would cut up to 700 jobs from almost 39,000.
In 2022 and 2023, BASF operated at a loss in Germany, unlike its divisions in other European, Asian and American countries.
Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the group was Gazprom's largest German industrial client, with which it had a particularly close relationship through its subsidiary Wintershall Dea.
Now that it is without Russian gas, BASF has begun to diversify its energy supply. The company's plant in Ludwigshafen is being converted to use renewable energy sources.
‘We want to turn Ludwigshafen into one of the chemical industry's leaders in low CO2 emissions, ensuring high profitability and sustainable development,’ said BASF CEO Martin Brudermüller, presenting the company's 2023 report.
Background. As a reminder, France has detained a person allegedly involved in a sabotage on railway tracks. The Minister of the Interior said that the saboteurs' methods bear the hallmarks of left-wing extremists, but they could have been manipulated.
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