Page 160 - CW E-Magazine (31-10-2023)

News from Abroad

PROJECT UPDATE

NatureWorks targets production at new PLA facility

in Thailand by 2025

NatureWorks, the polylactic acid
(PLA) joint venture of Thailand’s petro-
chemical and refining company,
GC, and American food corporation,
Cargill, has announced significant pro-
gress on the construction of their new
Ingeo-branded PLA biopolymer manu-
facturing facility in Nakhon Sawan
Province, Thailand.

As a fully integrated PLA complex,
the plant will include three manufactur-
ing facilities: lactic acid fermentation,
lactide monomer production, and poly- abundant and will be sourced from biopolymers throughout the Asia-
merisation. The facility will have a farms within a 50-km radius of the Pacific region, and this new complex
capacity of 75-ktpa of Ingeo biopoly- Nakhon Sawan site. will allow us to continue to sustainably
mer and produce the full portfolio of and efficiently supply our markets with
Ingeo grades. “The construction of our new the highest quality biopolymers.”
facility is a significant undertaking that
The company said the construction represents NatureWorks’ continued in- The construction of this new facility
is on track to support projected start-up vestment both in the Asia Pacific region will support rapid growth in multiple
activities and full production in 2025. and in the expansion of the biobased different markets including 3D printing,
Ingeo biopolymer produced at this site materials market,” said Mr. Steve Bray, nonwovens for hygiene, compostable
will be made from sugarcane, an annu- VP of Operations at NatureWorks. “We coffee capsules, tea bags, flexible pack-
ally renewable feedstock that is locally have seen a rise in demand for Ingeo aging, and sustainable food service ware.
CLEAN FUEL

Proman, Mitsubishi plan ultra-low carbon ammonia

plant in US

Switzerland-based methanol and the facility will be primarily exported to growing demand for ammonia as a clean
fertiliser producer, Proman, has signed Japan as a clean fuel to reduce emissions fuel,” said Proman’s CEO Mr. David
an MoU with Japan’s Mitsubishi Cor- from coal-fired power plants, in line with Cassidy. With assets in the US, Trinidad
poration to explore building a world- Japan’s strategy to grow domestic am- and Oman, and ongoing expansion into
scale ultra-low carbon ammonia facility monia consumption to help achieve de- Mexico, Canada and the UAE, Proman
in Lake Charles, Louisiana (USA). The carbonisation goals. “Proman is already is a global leader in methanol, fertiliser
proposed plant would produce approxi- a leading fertiliser producer, and we and other products such as melamine.
mately 1.2-mtpa of clean ammonia by are committed to expanding our global In September this year, Proman announced
incorporating carbon capture and seques- production to drive forward ammonia’s financial close of a $1.5-bn investment
tration technology. The proposed facility critical role as a fertiliser, fuel and decarbo- in a 2,220-tpd (tonnes per day) ammonia
will be located on Proman’s existing site nised future energy source. Once com- plant in Topolobampo, Mexico, with con-
in Lake Charles, adjacent to its natural pleted, this state-of-the-art plant with in- struction now underway. The investment
gas-to-methanol plant, which is also un- dustry-leading carbon capture technology will expand Proman’s ammonia produc-
der development. Ammonia produced at will be a major step towards meeting the tion capacity to 2.8-mtpa.

160 Chemical Weekly October 31, 2023

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