BASF expands South Carolina PGM refining facility

BASF, with global headquarters in Germany, has announced that it will expand its Seneca, South Carolina, platinum group metals (PGM) refining facility, investing tens of million in dollars in capital improvements to increase its capacity to recycle precious metals from spent catalysts, such as automotive catalytic converters.

The company is not disclosing the specific amount of the investment for competitive reasons, Paul Warkentin, BASF’s global marketing communications manager who is based in Iselin, New Jersey, says. “The work has begun, and startup is expected in mid-2022.”

Warkentin says the investment will help BASF meet growing demand from its customers to recycle spent catalysts.

“This investment further strengthens our global leadership position in the spent automotive catalyst recycling market,” says Tim Ingle, vice president of BASF Precious Metals Refining, Chemicals & Battery Recycling. “We are proud to enable the circular economy and to support our customers’ and our own sustainability goals.”

BASF’s Seneca site produces precious metal catalysts and chemicals that are used by BASF customers to produce a wide variety of products, including herbicides, plastics, pharmaceuticals, automotive emission catalysts, fragrances and fertilizers.