June 07, 2007 – Basell announced today that it plans to implement a new debottlenecking and revamping project for its Spherizone process plant in Brindisi, Italy. As a result of the investment, the capacity of the unit will be increased by 50 KT, bringing the total to 235 KT per year.

The revamped unit is expected to start up in the first quarter of 2009. This expansion follows a first debottlenecking project which was completed earlier this year.

Anton de Vries, president of Basell Polyolefins Europe, said: “The enhanced properties of the polypropylene produced by the Spherizone process, such as improved clarity, impact, softness, and rigidity, enable Basell to bring innovative products to the market.” The current plant capacity is no longer sufficient to serve the growing demand for these types of grades.

De Vries added: ”The new investment confirms Basell’s continued commitment to developing and supplying the speciality polypropylenes that converters use in a wide range of high-performance applications, from light-weight food packaging and high-transparency films to high-modulus (HM) gravity pipes.”

Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene and polyethylene processes, including providing technical services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.

For more information contact Waldemar Oldenburger, Basell Corporate Communications, at +49 69 305 85459 or waldemar.oldenburger@basell.com or Isabelle Trocherie, Business Communications Manager, at +33680478023 or isabelle.trocherie@basell.com