Chemical giant BASF announced last week that it is to double its vitamin E production capacity to 20,000 metric tons per year. The move is part of a capital expenditure program amounting to € 600 million, which BASF hopes will allow it to become the world's second largest manufacturer of vitamins. Over € 100 million will be invested in raising the production volume of vitamin E and its precursors from the current 10,000 tons to 20,000 tons per year in Ludwigshafen. The stagewise capacity increases will take effect from 2002. Parallel to the concentration of vitamin E production in Ludwigshafen, the related production lines in the United States will be streamlined. Vitamin E is used in animal feeds as well as in the manufacture of foods and cosmetics.
