BASF wants to help solve the existing hand sanitizer shortage that emerged as a result of considerably increased demand due to the spread of novel coronavirus.
In order to make this possible, several preconditions have been met over the past few days to enable the manufacture of medical disinfectants at the Ludwigshafen site itself. BASF has obtained a special permit from the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Health.
“We know from hospitals in the region that the supply situation for suitable disinfectants is very tight in some cases. We therefore want to help ensure availability,” says Dr. Uwe Liebelt, President European Site & Verbund Management and Site Manager Ludwigshafen.
BASF produces a few of the raw materials that can be used at its Lud-wigshafen plant to make disinfectants. Certain essential raw materials are purchased externally by BASF and used for the manufacture of other goods within BASF’s value adding chain.
BASF has now re-allocated multiple metric tons, particularly of isopropanol, to manufacture hand sanitizers. The legal and technical prerequisites for the production of disinfectants at the Ludwigshafen site were established in the last few days.