BASF Shuts Down Plant, Withdraws Product After Technical Defect

German chemicals company BASF SE (BAS.XE) said on Wednesday that it has shut down a plant at its Ludwigshafen site due to a technical defect and is withdrawing the products produced at that plant.

The plant, which produces a type of compostable bio-plastic, is expected to be offline for at least three weeks. BASF says it is contacting customers regarding a withdrawal of affected products. It estimates that about 1,500 tons of its products were affected.

The company said that a defect was found in a heating circuit that resulted in a "small amount" of a type of thermal oil entering the product loop.

Write to Sonia Amaral Rohter at sonia.amaralrohter@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 18, 2017 10:21 ET (14:21 GMT)