BASF Ties European Polyisobutene Output to Green Power From 2027 as Evonik Talks and Buyback Roll On

BASF will produce its entire European polyisobutene portfolio for external customers using renewable electricity from January 2027, the chemicals group said, setting a firm start date for a supply change that leaves the products themselves untouched. The shift covers the Oppanol B and Glissopal lines, and customers will see no change to the articles they buy — no fresh product approval is required, according to the company.

The scope is deliberately narrow. Only volumes delivered to outside customers fall under the commitment; material BASF keeps for its own use is explicitly excluded, ring-fencing the announcement to a defined slice of European output.

Power will come from a blend of renewable sources BASF already draws on and additional volumes allocated through a mass-balance approach. At Ludwigshafen and Antwerp, supply includes electricity from the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm as well as long-term power purchase agreements, so the group is leaning on several procurement routes at once. The mass-balance method is central to how the measure should be read: it forms part of the supply concept being announced, not an afterthought.

ZeroPCF Grades Sit Alongside Standard Lines

Product continuity runs in parallel with the greener power supply. Existing sales articles stay in place, and because no re-approval is needed, customers can absorb the change without an extra certification process. On top of that, BASF offers ZeroPCF variants of Glissopal and Oppanol B whose product carbon footprint comes to no more than 0.0 kilograms of CO? equivalent per kilogram of product, per company figures.

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying BASF?

That number carries a defined boundary. The calculation runs from raw-material extraction to the factory gate, leaving downstream emissions outside the scope, and external compensation is excluded as well. The ZeroPCF label therefore describes the accounted footprint within the stated production chain rather than a full life-cycle claim.

Strategically, the European polyisobutene switch is meant to feed into BASF's broader electricity target: a renewable share of more than 60% by 2030. For investors, the takeaway is a concrete implementation step — procurement of green power tied to a defined product portfolio and a fixed launch date. What matters for delivery is that the announced supply applies to all captured customer volumes from the turn of the year, with the perimeter clearly drawn: European production for external buyers, including mass-balance-allocated electricity.

Legal Reins Handed to Bauermann

Separately, Soeren Bauermann took charge of Corporate Legal, Compliance, Insurance & Security at BASF on 1 November, the company said, putting law, compliance, insurance and security under one roof. The announcement came as the BASF share traded 0.7% higher in pre-market action.

M&A speculation continues to swirl around the group. According to Reuters, the chief executives and finance chiefs of BASF and Evonik met on Saturday to discuss BASF's interest in acquiring Evonik, with the news agency reporting the meeting on the previous day citing two sources. Evonik had earlier turned down BASF's offer of €24 per Evonik share, Reuters reported.

Buyback Grinds Past 7.95 Million Shares

On the capital-return front, BASF's interim buyback report disclosed the purchase of roughly 352,000 of its own shares in the past week, covering buys from 2 to 6 November inclusive. Since the programme began on 3 August, the group has repurchased about 7.95 million shares in total, a figure reflecting the position through the end of last Friday.

Investors awaiting the next set of hard numbers have a date: BASF has scheduled the 2026 annual report for 26 February 2027.

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