BASF and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) have completed a joint feasibility study and taken the next steps in the establishment of a world-scale isononanol (INA) plant in Maoming, Guangdong, China, the companies said on Tuesday. 

Under the terms of the feasibility study, a new 50-50 joint venture will be formed, named BASF MPCC Co. Ltd.

Pre-approval has been received from the Maoming Administration of Industry and Commerce for the name of the venture. The partners expect to begin production at the new plant around the middle of 2015.

The full integration of the new INA plant into the existing petrochemical site of MPCC in Maoming will allow for a comprehensive system for managing energy as well as minimizing water use, emissions, and waste. The approval process has begun for the environmental impact assessment.

“The completion of the joint feasibility study marks an important milestone for our INA business, helping us serve the increasing demand for next-generation plasticizers in China. Integration into the MPCC operations also allows for a very competitive feedstock supply,” said Dr. Albert Heuser, president of the Asia-Pacific region for BASF.

INA is used as feedstock for the production of next generation plasticizers, including diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and non-phthalate plasticizer Hexamoll DINCH.

BASF and Sinopec already jointly operate BASF-YPC Co. Ltd., a 50-50 joint venture between BASF and Sinopec in Nanjing, China. As one of China's largest petrochemical joint ventures, it produces a wide range of chemicals for the rapidly-growing Chinese market.