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BASF is strengthening its styrene value chain at its Ludwigshafen site by expanding the production capacity of Neopor® by 50,000 metric tons per year. This increase is aimed at meeting the growing market demand for the grey insulation material. The start-up of the new production facilities is scheduled for early 2027.
Neopor® is a graphite-containing, expandable polystyrene (EPS) granulate developed by BASF, primarily used as a raw material for the production of energyefficient insulation materials for building envelopes. The graphite contained gives the material its grey color and enhances the insulation performance of the boards by up to 30% compared to white EPS. Insulation materials made from Neopor® have set new standards in both new construction and renovation.
“Under BASF's sustainability evaluation method, TripleS (Sustainable Solution Steering), which BASF uses to evaluate all its products, Neopor® is classified as a ‘Pioneer’ in the highest category and is part of BASF's ‘Sustainable-Future Solutions’,” says Dr. Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors and Chief Technology Officer of BASF SE. “Our ambition is to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. And Neopor® is an excellent example of how we can achieve this."
Rising demand for insulation materials expected
BASF anticipates a significantly increasing demand for materials for energy-efficient building renovations in the coming years. The European Union aims to make the European building sector climate-neutral by 2050. To achieve this ambitious goal, implementing the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in all EU member states imposes high requirements for improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
Neopor® BMB has a significantly reduced CO2 footprint compared to classic Neopor®. In its production, at the beginning of the value chain fossil raw materials are replaced with a corresponding amount of renewable raw materials. The allocation of the share of renewable raw materials to the product according to a mass balance approach is independently certified by REDcert. In the production of Neopor® F 5 McycledTM, mechanically recycled EPS waste is partially used as a raw material, thereby closing the recycling loop for EPS. Both the recycled material used and the insulation raw material are REDcert2 certified
