11 – Noncurrent assets

Material investments in the first half of 2019 largely concerned the acetylene plant currently under construction and the expansion of the vitamin A plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Additions to property, plant and equipment also included investments at the following sites in particular: Ludwigshafen, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Shanghai, China; Geismar, Louisiana; Freeport, Texas; and Port Arthur, Texas.

As well as depreciation, the item additions to depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment included, in particular, impairment losses on discontinued investments in North America.

Currency effects largely arose from the appreciation of the U.S. dollar relative to the euro.

Additions in 2019 resulted from the merger of the oil and gas businesses of Wintershall and DEA, as well as the merger of the paper and water chemicals business with Solenis. In this connection, BASF received a 72.7% share in Wintershall Dea GmbH, Kassel, Germany (€14,440 million), and a 49% share in Solenis UK International Limited, London, England (€590 million).

Disposals in 2019 related to a capital decrease in the amount of €871 million at Wintershall Dea GmbH and the sale of Synvina C.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The difference between the net carrying amount at the end of June 2018 and the figure as of June 30, 2019, was mainly due to the transfer in 2018 of €2,552 million from investments accounted for using the equity method to assets of the disposal group for the oil and gas business.