BASF, a leading chemicals specialist, has been named as the “preferred supplier” of construction materials and system solutions for the construction of Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, the world’s first carbon-neutral zero waste city.

It will play an integral role in the city’s construction by offering its extensive portfolio of innovative solutions for sustainable and energy-efficient construction in order to reduce its energy demand. An agreement in this regard has been signed by Masdar and BASF. The chemical giant will also open an office in Masdar City once it is completed.
“BASF will be an invaluable partner for Masdar and the development of Masdar City,” says Dr Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive officer of Masdar. “We’ve made a bold commitment to advance the use of sustainable materials in urban developments. Tapping into BASF’s expertise in this field takes us one step closer to that goal.”
Masdar City, currently in its first phase of construction, is approximately 30 km from downtown Abu Dhabi.
“BASF is a global market leader in products and system solutions for sustainable construction,” says Dr Walter Seufert, president region Europe at BASF. “By cooperating with Masdar in the construction of Masdar City, we underline our commitment to energy-efficient, climate-friendly construction.”
BASF’s portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF helps its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding solutions to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. The company with approximately 97,000 employees posted sales of more than €62 billion ($88.43 billion) in 2008.
BASF develops and markets numerous products that help to save energy and resources as well as avoid greenhouse gas emissions. These include products made from polystyrene and polyurethane, which are used for the manufacture of insulating foams for thermal insulation of buildings.
Elaborating on some of the ‘green” solutions from BASF, a spokesman for the company says: “Phase-change materials that are integrated into plaster or gypsum wall boards can be used as an alternative to air-conditioning, in this way saving electricity and maintenance costs. In addition, black pigments in roof coatings that absorb very little infrared solar radiation prevent dark surfaces from heating up. The use of special concrete admixtures in the concrete manufacturing process can lower carbon emissions by up to 60 per cent.”