German chemicals and materials firm BASF is constructing a new pilot plant facility called the Catalyst Development and Solids Processing Center at its Ludwigshafen complex to support process innovations of chemical catalysts and serve as a pilot-scale production asset.

“The new Catalyst Development Center supports our Chemical Catalysts business’ growth strategy. It sends a strong signal to customers that we at BASF are committed to innovating our process catalysts portfolio and bringing new products to the market faster,” said Dr. Detlef Ruff, senior vice president, Process Catalysts at BASF, in a company release Tuesday. “The new pilot plant also supports even closer collaboration with our development partners to jointly drive innovation.”

BASF’s pilot plant site will enable the company to reach production scale more quickly and to manufacture sample amounts of new catalysts with short lead times.

“It allows us to more quickly respond to market needs and contribute to a more sustainable chemical industry,” Dr. Peter Schuhmacher, president, Catalysts for BASF, said in a statement.

Work on the site is expected to conclude by mid-2024.