BASF will consolidate its spent chemical catalysts refining and recycling operations at the company’s Seneca, S.C., operating facility by the end of 2015. As a result, BASF will shut down the incineration and refining of used chemical catalysts at its operating site in Rome, Italy, during the fourth quarter of this year, according to the company. The Rome site will be recalibrated to focus on process catalysts manufacturing, platinum group metals (PGM) salts and solutions production, and assay laboratory testing and analytics.
As a result of the consolidation, staff will be reduced at the Rome site, primarily positions involved in incineration and refining and related support functions, according to the company. BASF says it will work closely with the impacted employees and their appropriate labor representatives to ensure a respectful and orderly transition process.
BASF’s site in Cinderford, UK, will now serve as a regional transfer center for all European spent chemical catalyst recycling customers, providing centralized collection, documentation and transfer services. The Cinderford site will also continue to serve as BASF’s European recycling hub for scrapped autocatalysts, where PGMs are recovered and shipped to Seneca for further refining and use in next-generation emissions catalysts.
Some existing activities at the Rome site – including customer service and metals settlement – will remain in place. The Rome site will continue to serve as a vital BASF operating facility and the primary interface for BASF Chemical Catalysts recycling customers in Europe, according to the company.
For more information, visit: www.basf.com
