The additional output capability is planned  to be in the market by mid-2022. Current and future capacity figures were not disclosed.

BASF said its new project is designed to improve the security of supply to its customers while at the same time adding regional production to help to meet rising consumer demand for high-performance and safe UV filters in the Asia Pacific market.

The German chemical giant claims that its product is one of only a few photostable UVA filters able to reliably filter the sun’s dangerous UVA rays and provide outstanding protection from free radicals and skin damage. The oil-soluble granule, it said, offers excellent formulation flexibility, is free of preservatives and highly efficient at low concentration.

As a global market leader in the field of UV  filters, the Ludwigshafen group said it expects demand for high-performance and safe UV filters to continue to grow worldwide, due to consumer awareness about the importance of UV protection for skin health.

At the Kaohsiung site, BASF currently produces its Tinosorb S range. The product with generic name bemotrizinol is a broad-spectrum UV absorber, absorbing UVB as well as UVA rays.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist