Bioplastics for bakeries: Total Corbion starts its factory

A 50/50 joint venture between Total and Corbion named Total Corbion PLA, announced the start-up of its 75,000 tonnes per year PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) bioplastics plant in Rayong, Thailand.

The plant has successfully produced Luminy^® PLA resins. At the end of the bioplastic bag or pastry box’s useful life, PLA products can be mechanically or chemically recycled, or in some cases composted and returned to the soil as fertilizer. This plastic made of sugar cane provides a valuable contribution towards the circular economy being 100 per cent renewable and biodegradable and offering multiple environmentally-friendly waste solutions.

The new facility will produce a broad range of Luminy PLA resins from renewable, non-GMO sugarcane sourced locally in Thailand: from standard PLA to innovative, high heat PLA and PDLA¹ with unique properties. The products will meet customers’ needs in a wide range of markets notably packaging, consumer goods, 3D printing, fibres and automotive and are specifically optimized for extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding and fibre spinning processes.

Total Corbion PLA will leverage on the integration with its lactide plant, the monomer required for the production of PLA, that has simultaneously been expanded to 100,000 tonnes per year production capacity. Furthermore, the 1,000 tonnes per year PLA pilot plant, which has been operational since the end of 2017, is located on the same site and will be used for product development.

The start-up marks a major milestone for both the joint venture and the bioplastics market. With this additional 75,000 tonnes per year facility, the global production of PLA bioplastics will increase by almost 50 per cent to 240,000 tonnes per year. PLA is a fast-growing polymer market with an estimated annual growth rate of 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

“The start-up of this state-of-the-art plant establishes Total Corbion PLA as a world-scale PLA bioplastic producer, ideally located to serve growing markets from Asia Pacific to Europe and the Americas” says Stephane Dion, CEO of the company. “The subsequent increase in global PLA capacity will enable manufacturers and brand owners to move into the circular economy and produce bio-based products with lower carbon footprints and multiple end of life options.”

“I’m very pleased that the joint venture has started-up the second-largest PLA bioplastics plant in the world. This achievement is fully in line with our strategy, to expand in petrochemicals and, at the same time, innovate in low-carbon solutions. Bioplastics are a great complement to our more traditional petrochemicals products to meet the rising demand for polymers while contributing towards reducing end-of-life concerns”, says Bernard Pinatel, President Refining & Chemicals at Total, in a press release.

Corbion, that supplies the lactic acid to this fully integrated plant, is happy with the news: “The successful start-up of this state-of-the-art PLA plant is the result of impressive team work by many. This is good news for consumers and producers who want to make a conscious choice to improve their carbon footprint and make their contribution to a circular economy. A world of innovation and business opportunities has opened up while contributing to a better world“, added Tjerk de Ruiter, CEO at Corbion, in the same press release.