On May 31, 2019, the Propionic Acid (PA) expansion inauguration ceremony of BYC was held, with the attendance of Vasilios Galanos, Senior Vice President, BASF Intermediates Asia Pacific, Hong Jianqiao, Chairman of YPC and BYC, Uwe Kirchgaessner, BYC President, BYC management and relevant employees, as well as the customers in China and Asia Pacific. 

“As the population grows and the living standards improve in Asia Pacific, the rising demand for food and feed has led to an increase in the consumption of propionic acid. Strong growth in other industries, such as pharmaceuticals and agriculture, is also driving us to expand our propionic acid capacity in the region,” said Vasilios Galanos,  "Propionic acid is an eco-efficient and effective preservative used in animal feed and food additives. With the new plant, we look forward to better supporting the growth of our customers in China and the rest of Asia Pacific.”

“Sinopec and BASF work collaboratively for the successful startup of the second propionic acid plant. The startup of this plant not only meets the market demand in the field of food safety, but is also in line with the Government’s commitments to promoting the transformation and upgrade of the traditional manufacturing industries which was re-emphasized during the Two Sessions this year through the key reform priorities,” said Hong Jianqiao.  

The new PA plant broke ground in October 2017, and started up on December 30, 2018, one month ahead of the original plan. “The project achieved a very good EHS and quality performance. Together with the production unit expansion, the relevant utility units as well as safety and environmental protection facilities were added or upgraded, demonstrating BYC’s commitment to maintain and even improve our high standards for safety and environmental management.” Uwe Kirchgasessner in his speech also expressed his appreciation for the project team and contractors. 

Propionic acid is used as a mold inhibitor for the preservation of food and feed grains. It offers strong economic and ecological benefits over preservation through drying or storage in air-tight silos. Propionic acid is also widely used in the production of pharmaceuticals, crop protection agents, solvents and thermoplastics. With the annual capacity of 30,000 metric tons per year, BYC has now a total PA capacity of 69,000t/y. The commercial products are now available for sale to customers in China and the rest of Asia Pacific.