More jobs expected as Geismar chemical plant expansion nears completion

GEISMAR, La. (WAFB) - BASF plans to invest $780 million to double production and create new jobs at the company’s chemical manufacturing complex in Ascension Parish.

The announcement from Louisiana Economic Development means BASF will keep more than 1,000 existing jobs and add 37 new direct jobs. The group also estimated the project will bring 147 new indirect jobs.

“BASF is one of the largest chemical companies in the world, and this substantial reinvestment in its Geismar complex speaks volumes about the strength of Louisiana’s advanced manufacturing sector,” Governor John Bel Edwards said. “By increasing production of a material vital to the creation of energy-efficient products, BASF has positioned our state as an important contributor to the global sustainability supply chain.”

The latest investment is part of the third and final phase of an expansion plan that was first announced in 2018.

After work wraps up, the Geismar complex will be able to produce 600,000 metric tons per year of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate.

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