Basf leads the implementation of 5G in industry from the Tarragona complex

The German multinational Basf will invest some 22 million euros in the facilities of the Tarragona petrochemical complex in 2022, a part of which will be allocated to the full implementation and development of 5G technology.

The Tarragona production center has become, after an agreement with Cellnex, the first chemical complex in Spain to have a private fifth-generation mobile network to implement digital transformation in the industry. The chemical group has begun the development of different applications, based on the access and management of data provided by the 5G network, to implement them in different uses. One of them is sensor technology, as explained by Carles Navarro, general director of Basf Española and head of the group's activities in Spain and Portugal.

Sensor technology, he said, allows for personalized planning and real-time decision-making for the flow of goods that move internally through the Tarragona factory, and the idea is to delve into other applications "that are currently in the testing phase," which can provide "significant possibilities for process improvement" to increase the plant's competitiveness.

Tarragona will receive 50% of the total investments of 44 million euros planned for this year for all of the multinational's activities in Spain and will be mainly dedicated to improving digitalization, strengthening security systems, and incorporating technological advances.

General director Carles Navarro presented the company's annual results for 2021, "a successful and solid year" characterized by a 25% increase in sales, surpassing 2019 levels and the historical record of 2017. Specifically, the group recorded revenues of 1,350 million euros last year.

However, Navarro pointed out that, while there was a "sharp" recovery in demand with a 12% increase in orders, there was also a 14% rise in logistics prices, raw materials, and energy costs. Thus, "Basf has increased sales in a context of rising production and supply costs."

For this year, the company does not want to make forecasts given the geopolitical context generated by the war between Russia and Ukraine, since for now "the consequences are unpredictable," Navarro explained. "Our efforts will be directed at managing the difficult situation of the fiscal year," he mentioned. In his speech for the presentation of last year's economic balance, Navarro referred to the war in Ukraine, recalling that the company condemns the war, prioritizes the safety of people in the country, and announces that it will not open new business avenues in Russia while the conflict is ongoing.