BASF opens first plant in Sri Lanka to meet local demand for construction chemicals

Site tour to the concrete lab located within the plant that ensures product quality through formulation excellence.

BASF’s first production plant in Sri Lanka will produce standard and custom-made performance-based construction chemicals under the Master Builders Solutions brand. These include concrete admixtures product ranges such as MasterGlenium, MasterPolyheed, MasterRheobuild and MasterPozzolith. 

The new plant will allow BASF to better meet the increasing demand for construction chemicals to customers in Sri Lanka. The site is supported by an office, warehouse and a well-equipped testing lab that will deliver tailormade recipes through formulation excellence.

“Asia Pacific is one of the fastest growing markets globally, and South Asia is a strategic growth engine of this market. With the new admixture plant in Colombo, we will now be able to rapidly supply our customers with admixtures for all cement and aggregate types, whether their construction projects are located in the capital or in remote areas,” said Himanshu Kapadia, Vice President, Market Management, Construction Chemicals Asia Pacific, BASF, at the inauguration of the new plant on 19 August.

BASF Lanka Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Aruna Deepthikumara said: “Sri Lanka’s construction industry is witnessing an upward swing, and is today one of the significant contributors to the country’s GDP. This growth is creating a demand for high performance concrete admixtures, which BASF is well positioned to address as a leader in the field. The construction chemicals plant in Colombo will supply admixtures in a timely fashion to all parts of the country.”

The production plant is strategically located in the Lindel Estate at Sapugaskande, Sri Lanka, just outside Colombo. It is well connected with the road network and located close to the harbor, making it easy to receive raw materials as well as deliver to customers across the country. The new production site represents a further step in bringing the Master Builders Solutions brand to customers around the world.

BASF has been actively providing construction chemicals to the South Asia markets for more than 20 years. Other production sites in South Asia are located in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

BASF’s Construction Chemicals division offers advanced chemicals solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures: Its comprehensive portfolio encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing systems, sealants, concrete repair and protection systems, performance grouts, performance flooring systems, tile fixing systems, expansion control systems and wood protection solutions.

The Construction Chemicals division’s about 5,500 employees form a global community of construction experts. To solve its customers’ specific construction challenges from conception through to completion of a project, it combines its know-how across areas of expertise and regions and draw on the experience gained in countless construction projects worldwide. It leverages global BASF technologies, as well as its in-depth knowledge of local building needs, to develop innovations that help make its customers more successful and drive sustainable construction.

The division operates production sites and sales centers in more than 50 countries and achieved sales of about €2.3 billion in 2015.

BASF has had an association with Sri Lanka for more than 80 years. With 31 employees as of the end of 2015, BASF registered sales of approximately €17 million to customers in Sri Lanka in 2015, and now maintains a state-of-the-art concrete admixtures production plant and warehousing complex at Sapugaskanda. BASF in Sri Lanka also contributes to the local community with initiatives that support relief and rehabilitation efforts.