BASF SE

05/12/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/12/2022 01:01

BASF and BMW Group rely on renewable raw materials for automotive coatings

  • The BMW Group is the first OEM to use BASF paints certified according to the biomass balance approach
  • Reducing fossil resources and using more sustainable raw materials minimizes the carbon footprint
  • Clearcoat and e-coat avoid around 40% of CO2 each

The BMW Group is the first carmaker to place its trust in more sustainable automotive OEM coatings certified according to BASF's biomass balance approach. The BMW Group has chosen to use BASF Coatings' CathoGuard® 800 ReSource e-coat at its plants in Leipzig, Germany, and Rosslyn, South Africa, and the iGloss® matt ReSource clearcoat throughout Europe. Using these more sustainable product versions for vehicle coatings enables CO2 avoidance of around 40% per coating layer; this will reduce the amount of CO2 emitted in the plants by more than 15,000 metric tons by 2030.

"As the largest provider of chemical products to the automotive industry, we are aware of our responsibility to support our customers with innovative, eco-efficient solutions. The biomass balance approach allows us to make our coatings solutions even more sustainable while retaining the same quality. We are delighted that the BMW Group has chosen to play a pioneering role in the automotive industry and that our products play a key part in helping it achieve its ambitious sustainability goals," said Dr. Markus Kamieth, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE.

"By reducing our use of fossil raw materials, we can conserve natural resources and lower CO2 emissions at the same time. To achieve this, we are increasingly relying on sustainability innovations in our supplier network," said Joachim Post, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network. "Innovative paints based on renewable raw materials are an important step in this direction."

The BMW Group produces an average of around 250,000 vehicles every year at its plants in Leipzig and Rosslyn.

As a corrosion protection technology with optimum protection of edges, the CathoGuard 800 e-coat helps millions of cars live longer. Its biomass-balanced version, CathoGuard 800 ReSource, adds a reduced carbon footprint to the e-coat application's material efficiency, without changing the product's formulation.

In BASF's biomass balance approach, renewable raw materials like bio-based naphtha and biomethane from organic waste are used as raw materials when manufacturing primary chemical products and are fed into the production Verbund. The proportion of bio-based raw materials is then arithmetically assigned to certain sales products according to a certified method. This attribution model is comparable with the principle of green electricity. An independent certification confirms that BASF has replaced the quantities of fossil resources required for the biomass-balanced product sold with renewable raw materials.


About BASF's Coatings division

The Coatings division of BASF is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings, decorative paints as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. This portfolio is supplemented by "Beyond Paint Solutions", which enable new applications with innovative surfaces. We create advanced performance solutions and drive performance, design and new applications to meet our partners' needs all over the world. BASF shares skills, knowledge and resources of interdisciplinary and global teams for the benefit of customers by operating a collaborative network of sites in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. In 2021, the Coatings division achieved global sales of about €3.44 billion.

Solutions beyond your imagination - Coatings by BASF. For more information about the Coatings division of BASF and its products, visit www.basf-coatings.com.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €78.6 billion in 2021. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

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