Honeywell to deliver process automation to BASF

May 21, 2007
New control system for world's largest chemical plant will enable consolidation of two facilities.

OFFENBACH, Germany, May 17, 2007 -- Honeywell has been awarded a contract to provide its Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) to BASF, the world's leading chemical company. This technology will enable BASF to consolidate the operations of two of its largest chemical production plants, located in Ludwigshafen, Germany, into one central control center.

The consolidation project, which began in August 2006 and is expected to be completed in late 2008, includes project management, project engineering, hardware and software delivery, system upgrades and startup assistance.

With Honeywell technology, BASF will benefit from more powerful process control systems and improved human machine interfaces. By integrating the separate control rooms of the two plants into a single control center, Honeywell will enable BASF to better use the manpower and skills of its operators. At the same time, BASF's operators will benefit from a comprehensive view of the combined facilities, thanks to the advanced displays, alarms and reporting capabilities of Experion PKS.

"The solution we've delivered enables BASF to use its existing automation units for the next fifteen years but allows the customer to benefit from a new generation of operator interfaces," said Paul Orzeske, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Process Solutions Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "In essence, this allows BASF to run a state-of-the-art system without the expense of a totally new system."

BASF has 150 production sites and 95,000 employees worldwide. The two chemical production plants in Ludwigshafen produce chemicals used in the creation of plastics. The site holds the record as the world's largest chemical production facility, covering ten square kilometers and housing 40,000 employees working from 2,000 buildings, including the company's global headquarters.