BASF site in Ludwigshafen in Germany A leak of an organic solvent led to an explosion and subsequent fire yesterday in the southern part of the BASF site in Ludwigshafen in Germany, reported the company.
The fire was extinguished by BASF’s fire department at around 12.45pm CEST.
“The plant was shut down and is in a safe condition,” according to a statement from the chemical giant.
BASF said its environmental monitoring vehicles did not detect any product residues inside or outside the plant. There was no contamination of air, water, or soil, it added.
However, 15 employees were slightly injured in the incident and were examined at the BASF Medical Center. All of them have since been discharged.
The cause of the incident is still being investigated and the relevant authorities have been informed, said BASF.
Market uncertainty
Swiss market intelligence firm, Kemiex, today reported that in the absence of detailed impact analysis about the BASF incident, carotenoids and vitamin markets remained highly uncertain and volatile.
“Many suppliers have halted quotations to assess the impact to security of supply and prices.”
Historical context
In October 2017, a fire at BASF’s northern Citral facilities at the Ludwigshafen complex caused a plant shutdown and a force majeure declaration for Citral and Isoprenol-based aroma products, significantly affecting the markets for Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and other related products.