Sites, Markets, Environment
Sites and Verbund
As one of the world’s largest chemical companies, BASF is present in 93 countries. We operate 234 production sites worldwide. We laid the foundation for the Verbund concept in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in 1865 – and it remains one of our key strengths to this day. Intelligently linking and steering our Verbund plants creates efficient value chains – from basic chemicals to high value-added solutions. The Verbund enables us to manage our production in a resource-efficient, carbon-optimized and reliable way. By-products from one facility are used as feedstocks elsewhere, for example. This saves raw materials and energy, avoids emissions, lowers logistics costs and leverages synergies.
In addition to Ludwigshafen, Germany, BASF operates five other Verbund sites in Antwerp, Belgium; Freeport, Texas; Geismar, Louisiana; Kuantan, Malaysia; and Nanjing, China. Another Verbund site is being built in Zhanjiang in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. Following the startup of the engineering plastics plant in 2022, a plant for the production of thermoplastic polyurethanes came onstream there in 2023.
We also use the Verbund principle for more than production, applying it to technologies, the market and digitalization as well. Our research expertise is pooled globally, with the Know-How and Research Verbund in Ludwigshafen, Germany, as the central hub.
BASF’s production sites
BASF sales by region 2023
Location of customer
Procurement and sales markets
BASF supplies products and services to over 78,0001 customers from various sectors in almost every country in the world. Our customer portfolio ranges from major global customers and small and medium-sized enterprises to end consumers.
We work with over 70,000 Tier 1 suppliers2 worldwide. They supply us with important raw materials, chemicals, investment goods and consumables, and perform a range of services.
> 20% |
Chemicals and plastics | Transportation (respectively) |
10–20% |
Agriculture | Consumer goods (respectively) |
< 10% |
Construction | Electronics | Energy and resources | Health and nutrition (respectively) |
1 The number of customers refers to all external companies (sold-to parties) that had contracts with the BASF Group in the business year concerned under which sales were generated.
2 BASF considers all direct suppliers of the BASF Group in the business year concerned as Tier 1 suppliers. These are suppliers that provide us with raw materials, investment goods, consumables and services. Suppliers can be natural persons, companies or legal persons under public law.