First-class product quality and environmentally compatible manufacturing process in perfect balance; use of renewable resources in the production Verbund; BASF's biomass balance approach is TÜV SÜD-certified
BASF's Coatings division has launched new product lines in Europe for its Glasurit® and R-M® refinish paint brands that make automotive refinishing more sustainable. They are the world's first refinish products manufactured according to the certified biomass balance approach, therefore contributing to reduce CO2 emissions.
For the biomass balance approach, parts of the fossil resources are replaced by renewable resources, such as bio-naphtha or biogas from organic waste or vegetable oils, already at the beginning of the production process. This share of biomass is mathematically allocated to the new product line for automotive refinish products according to a method certified by the German Technical Supervisory Association TÜV SÜD. By applying this calculative model, 100% of the fossil resources can be replaced with renewable resources.
"As we developed the new product range, we wanted to make sure that our customers will not experience any changes with respect to quality or application. The biomass balance approach already permits renewable resources to be used at the start of chemical production. This allows us to process the products obtained via this process in the usual manner and use them to manufacture our refinish products," explained Katja Scharpwinkel, head of BASF's Automotive Refinish EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) unit. "By developing the new product line, we are offering body shops the opportunity to stand out from the competition and directly influence the way they save CO2 and in so doing, make a conscious contribution to environmental protection."
The biomass balance approach, used by various BASF divisions, is comparable to the green energy tariff, since the power that comes from the socket is not necessarily generated from renewable sources. What is much more important is that the total proportion of renewable sources in the system adds up and that it is mathematically correctly allocated to the certified commercial products. If demand increases, this proportion must be increased accordingly. TÜV SÜD continuously monitors whether BASF actually uses this share in renewable resources in the production Verbund and that it allocates it correctly to the certified products.