Avantium’s Tom van Aken and Stefan Blank, President of BASF’s Intermediates Division, discuss their cooperation regarding the production of a new and bio based raw material using furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Their Synvina joint venture aims to start construction of an FDCA reference plant by the end of 2018, with sales of FDCA and PEF (polyethylene furanoate) expected to commence in 2021.

The reference plant is expected to have a capacity to produce up to 50 ktpa of FDCA. The JV intends to subsequently license Avantium’s YXY technology to BASF and others to enable global industrial scale production of FDCA and PEF as from 2021.