Basell announced today that it will build a polypropylene compounding plant in China at the Suzhou Industrial Park, 80 kilometers west of Shanghai.  Construction is scheduled to begin next month, with the start-up planned for early 2005. The facility will be completed in several phases to achieve the targeted capacity of 55-60 KT.

“With this investment Basell will further strengthen its global advanced polyolefins’ supply network for customers in the automotive, appliances and industrial sectors," said Sergio Danesi, president of Basell´s Advanced Polyolefins Business. “Compounding is a key tool in Basell’s business strategy to provide value-added polyolefin solutions for our customers globally.” Basell, together with its joint venture partners, currently has a PP compounding business presence in 14 countries: Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand in Asia Pacific; Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom in Europe, and Argentina, Brazil and the United States in the Americas.

Basell is the world’s largest producer and marketer of advanced polyolefins. In addition, the company produces and markets polypropylene, polyethylene and polyolefin catalysts, and also develops and licenses polyolefin processes.  Basell has sales in more than 120 countries. The Basell corporate centre is in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, and the company has regional offices in Hong Kong; Brussels, Belgium; Mainz, Germany; Elkton, Maryland, USA, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The company’s Internet address is www.basell.com.

For additional information, contact Michelle Talmo of Basell’s Corporate Communications Department at +1 302 438 6574, +1 410 996 1366 or michelle.talmo@basell.com.