thyssenkrupp actually announced this news earlier than the recent announcements from NatureWorks and Total Corbion PLA but we’re definitely seeing a theme here on PLA capacity expansions worldwide.
According to thyssenkrupp, its plant engineering business recently won another order to build a bioplastics plant based on its patented PLAneo® technology. The new facility will be built in South China and will produce 30,000 tons of polylactide (PLA) annually. The Asian market reportedly represents around half of the world’s bioplastic production capacities.
The new plant will produce PLA among other things for the manufacture of eco-friendly packaging, fibers, textiles and engineering plastics, and is scheduled to go into operation in fall 2021. thyssenkrupp will design the plant and supply the key components. The company’s PLAneo® technology is reportedly also suitable for large-scale plants with capacities of up to 100,000 tons per year. The technology can also reduce energy consumption in the process through the use of an energy recovery system, further reducing costs and making production even more sustainable.
thyssenkrupp built the first commercial plant based on PLAneo® technology for China’s biggest food and beverage company COFCO. It went into operation in Changchun at the end of 2018.
Hello,
as far as I know is the determining step in the PLA production the synthesis of dilactide. The latter is a eminent energy-consuming process because the educt lactic acid must be water-free. Moreover, condensation to the anhydride requires high temperature and distillation. I am not sure if the cheap energy prices in China is the driving force to settle this plant in China.
Posted by Ullrich Keller | September 29, 2020, 7:37 am