BASF is set to power its eligible polyisobutene (PIB) production for external customers in Europe entirely with renewable electricity from January 2027, marking another step in the chemical giant’s drive to reduce the carbon footprint of its products.
The transition will cover BASF’s eligible Oppanol B and Glissopal portfolios, with the company confirming that renewable electricity will become the standard for these products across its European operations.
The shift will be completed through a combination of renewable electricity already used at BASF production sites and additional volumes attributed through a mass-balance chain-of-custody approach.
At its Ludwigshafen and Antwerp sites, the renewable power mix includes electricity from the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm, co-owned by BASF, alongside long-term power purchase agreements.
The move also supports BASF’s broader sustainability target of sourcing more than 60% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
BASF is positioning the transition as a seamless switch for customers, with no requirement for product requalification and no changes to existing sales article numbers or product specifications.
The company is also offering Glissopal and Oppanol B grades with a 100% cradle-to-gate Product Carbon Footprint reduction under its ZeroPCF product range.
These products give customers additional opportunities to lower the carbon footprint of their own products, depending on their formulations and the PCF methodology applied.
“With Oppanol and Glissopal, we combine innovative applications with the performance, quality and reliability our customers know and trust,” said Sabrina Platzek, Senior Vice President Fuel and Lubricant Solutions at BASF. “By lowering the carbon footprint of Oppanol B and Glissopal, we are taking another concrete step to support our customers in achieving their sustainability ambitions. ”
Polyisobutene is used across a broad range of industries and applications, including fuels, lubricants, chewing gum, window seals, stretch films, adhesives, automotive sealants, pipelines and electronics.
By switching eligible European PIB production to renewable electricity, BASF aims to help customers reduce the environmental footprint of products that rely on these materials, without disrupting existing product specifications or qualification processes.
The renewable electricity transition applies exclusively to eligible products supplied to third-party customers. Volumes produced for captive demand are excluded.
The announcement reinforces BASF's efforts to integrate renewable energy into its global production network while supporting customers pursuing their own decarbonisation targets.
