Why is this company significant?
BASF is the largest chemical manufacturer and producer in Europe, and most likely the largest in the world. Just one of their plants in Germany is 10 square kilometres. That's larger than most cities.
BASF produces chemicals used by virtually every industry in the world, to the world. In one way or another, it's a safe bet that almost everything you use and enjoy in your daily life exists because of BASF.
BASF is one of the largest producers of ammonia, if not the largest. Ammonia is critical for many industries and products and manufacturing, but specifically the manufacture and production of fertilizers.
Without modern fertilizers and modern production capabilities, the world starves. Literally.
At current farming capacities and capabilities, meaning current developed and producing farmland, if we lost modern farming industry capabilities, such as synthetic fertilizers, the global farming industry would only be able to support (feed) roughly 1 billion people. There are almost 8 billion people on the planet.
That's not taking into account harvesting, transportation, processing, packaging, distribution, etc. All of these require chemicals or products made or supplied by BASF, either directly or indirectly somewhere in the supply chain.
BASF itself has stated that they believe shutting down certain pieces of machinery, which haven't been shut down since they were brought online in the early 1960s, would result in catastrophic failure of the equipment itself and would permanently be offline.
BASF has also stated that they need 80% of the energy supplied by the Nord 1 pipeline to remain operational.
Both pipelines are now destroyed. Repairs will take YEARS, if ever.
Gas cannot be supplied in any adequate way by ship. Never mind the cost of that form of transportation or the environmental risk of transportation by ship and sea.
At this point, it is certain that BASF will cease operations. Probably within weeks. Especially as Europe is scrambling for energy sources to keep their people from freezing to death.
I don't know if this adequately describes the level of catastrophe we are facing, especially in Europe.
This was an act of war. And it was a death blow to Europe for sure, and will severely harm the US and most other nations.
https://www.businesslend.com/business/basf-to-downsize-permanently-in-europe/
H/t (The Red Pill)
Just a few quickies ....
https://www.worldometers.info/gas/netherlands-natural-gas/
this is an estimate of the year 2017. Note the disparity between the reserves, that do not include those out in the north sea. 28 trillion cubic feet = 800 billion m³ of gas, while the consumption is a meager 1.4 billion a year. All this gas is sold abroad and then re-imported against higher prices.
However, if needed, The Netherlands could provide enough gas to keep BASF going for another 15 years without compromising domestic use.
However, the current junta does not want to pay one sou to those living in the Province of Groningen as a compensation of damages to their real estate.
It is now easy to see how this works.
If the saving of BASF is in the interest of the plan, they will do so. If not, bad luck chummy.
For one, farmers in Europe actually do not need artificial fertilizers. These fertilizers are geared towards the crops beings planted or sowed. With the amount of manure produced, there is enough to improve farmland and extract ammonia. Maybe decentralization is now possible by the demise of the giant.
I fondly remember my first blanc cassette: BASF CHROOM.
Lol...Me too...
Ahhhh... Dolby C.