BASF Invests in Sustainable Dispersion Production in Turkey

Report: Murat Soygür

In our interview, Derya Başargan, Sales Manager at BASF Turkey, Azerbaijan, Northwest Africa and Central Asia for Dispersions, Resins and Additives, shared valuable insights on a number of topics, including the new dispersion production line at the Dilovası Production Facility, which opened on 7 October 2025.

Could you briefly tell us about yourself, your education and your professional background in the industry?
I graduated from the Chemical Engineering Department at Yıldız Technical University. I then completed my master's degree in Business Administration at Galatasaray University. I began my professional career as a sales engineer. Subsequently, in 2010, my career path intersected with BASF. During the period until I took over my current position in 2023, I held various positions under BASF and Sukano in Turkey and Switzerland. In my current role, I am responsible for sales of dispersions, resins and additives product groups in the regions of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Northwest Africa and Central Asia.

What are the prevailing trends in dispersion technologies in our country recently, and could you provide information on your new investment in this direction?
In the paints sector, interest in both high-performance products and sustainable solutions is increasing steadily. Due to environmental regulations and growing consumer awareness of sustainability, the use of sustainable sources instead of fossil-based raw materials and the reduction of carbon footprint is becoming a prominent issue. Market demands can be met with various approaches. In particular, the "Mass Balance" method, preference for organic content and solutions derived from recycled materials are becoming widespread in the sector. The main trend emerging in dispersion technologies is low-VOC products. VOC, or volatile organic compounds, are organic solvents that evaporate from the formulation into the atmosphere. These cause photochemical ozone formation, reducing air quality and creating occupational health risks. Low-VOC products, however, reduce these compounds in the formulation while improving indoor air quality and facilitating compliance with environmental regulations. Such products are increasingly prominent, particularly in project-based applications and individual consumer demand.

Could you provide information about your new investment at the BASF Dilovası facility?
As BASF, we have taken an important step towards increasing production capacity in Turkey in line with recent market trends and our sustainability goals. The new dispersion production line at our Dilovası Production Facility, which opened on 7 October 2025, increases production capacity for dispersions used in decorative paints and construction chemicals. Thanks to this investment, production of environmentally friendly paints containing low VOC will be more strongly supported. Our facility operates entirely on green electricity and uses sustainable technologies such as the Mass Balance approach to reduce product carbon footprint. Our Dilovası facility responds to growing demand from our customers in Turkey and surrounding regions for innovative dispersions and needs arising from future regulatory changes, while clearly demonstrating our commitment to becoming the preferred chemistry company enabling our customers' green transformation.

Could you tell us a bit about the Dilovası facility where the investment is taking place?
Our Dilovası facility, which has been operating for 55 years, strengthens BASF's regional production network with its strategic location close to Istanbul and increases our supply capacity in the region. Dilovası has long held a strong position due to the knowledge it has accumulated over the years, qualified human resources, flexibility and receptiveness to sustainable technologies. With our new investment, we will increase our supply capacity in the region and boost product volume.

Which areas do you prioritize in your product development processes?
In our product development processes, we prioritize meeting the needs of users living in different geographies with diverse consumption habits. For example, since frequent wall cleaning is a common practice in Turkey, we focus on developing paints that show high resistance to wiping and chemicals. Through our Innovation Centre located at Teknopark Istanbul in Turkey, we tailor our binder work and formulations according to different demands from different geographies. At the same time, developing innovative paints with sustainable properties is also among our core priorities. In this direction, we focus on products formulated with environmentally conscious, carbon footprint-reducing raw materials. Additionally, high-solids dispersions that consider energy and resource efficiency are among the other important areas we prioritize. Could you discuss your sustainability goals for your dispersion and resin-based products?
When discussing sustainability, I believe we should convey our general approach, which we have adopted globally and which is reflected in all our business units and processes. Climate protection is one of the core components of our corporate strategy. As an energy-intensive company, we bear responsibility for global climate protection. In line with our strategy, we continue our efforts to reach our climate targets. Compared to 2018, we plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our production processes and energy supply by 25% by 2030. We also have ambitious targets for emissions from certain raw material sources. Sustainability, one of the cornerstones of our company, is a priority topic for us in the Dispersions Business Unit as well. Our investment in Dilovası is one of the most concrete examples of this. Thanks to the expanded local product portfolio resulting from this investment, production of dispersions containing low volatile organic compounds (VOC) will increase and we will be able to formulate products that directly contribute to improving indoor air quality. Additionally, with the Mass Balance approach, we will enable production of dispersions with a lower carbon footprint. The fact that our facility operates entirely on green electricity also contributes to these goals. To summarise, as the Dispersions Business Unit, while supporting our customers' green transformation, we fully maintain our commitment to our climate protection goals.