Global manufacturer Schütz has announced that it has begun construction of a new €40m production facility and logistics centre for Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) at BASF’s plant in Ludwigshafen.
Construction at the 20,000 sqm site began with a traditional groundbreaking ceremony on 14 Sept.
The new facility will include state-of-the-art manufacturing areas for IBC production, an adjacent packaging warehouse and office and social spaces.
The centre was designed to ensure a long-term, reliable supply of industrial packaging to BASF’s main plant, with state-of-the-art IT infrastructure digitally and fully automating all process steps, from order processing and production planning to delivery at various unloading points within BASF.
Ludwigshafen hosts BASF's Chemical Complex — the company's headquarters and the world's largest integrated chemical complex.
The complex covers about 10 sq km and employs more than 30,000 people on-site, producing thousands of different products in 125 production plants.
Schütz said the new facility will initially create 60 jobs and, through various expansion phases, up to 100 at the site.
The firm added in its statement that the project would not only secure supply reliability for BASF, but also for other industrial customers in the Rhine-Neckar region, while also promoting energy efficiency and an active circular economy.
Schütz also said that the site would sustainably reduce CO2 emissions by "significantly cutting down the number of truck transports" — which it estimated would result in an annual saving of around 1.5 million truck kilometres.
Commissioning is planned for summer 2027.
“The strength of our Ludwigshafen integrated site lies in the close connection between production, infrastructure and logistics," said Helmut Winterling, President European Integrated Sites, BASF SE.
"With Schütz’s new facility, this principle is being consistently advanced."
At the same time, closely coordinated logistics processes enhance the responsiveness of our value chains and provide the basis for an efficient, long-term supply to our production facilities.
The partnership between Schütz and BASF dates back to the 1960s. Roland Straßburger, CEO of the Schütz Group, added: “This project with BASF is a clear win-win investment — benefiting our customers, the environment and Schütz."
The new site in Ludwigshafen is not only another chapter in this long-standing success story but also a forward-looking signal for highly efficient logistics and a committed circular economy.
