Avantium unveils new bioplastics facility in Netherlands

NETHERLANDS – Dutch bioplastics pioneer Avantium has officially opened its commercial production facility in Delfzijl, marking a major milestone in its 20-year development journey.

This new plant will produce furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and polyethylene furanoate (PEF), two critical materials for sustainable packaging solutions.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by notable figures, including Dutch Queen Máxima and Sophie Hermans, the Netherlands’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Climate.

During the event, Avantium’s CEO, Tom van Aken, expressed the significance of the moment: “This is the most important milestone in the company’s history. We are transitioning from an R&D-focused company to a commercial enterprise.”

Van Aken highlighted the launch’s broader impact, emphasizing that the facility will not only supply products to the market but also drive Avantium’s technology licensing business.

This expansion will enable partners globally to build larger-scale production plants using Avantium’s innovations.

Paving the way for a circular economy

Van Aken revealed that Avantium already has global customers and off-takers, with particular demand in Europe and Asia, where the push for a circular economy is most pronounced.

“Europe is striving to be both innovation-driven and sustainable,” he noted. “There’s a strong ambition to help small green companies scale up while encouraging larger corporations to embrace sustainability.”

Avantium’s journey began with its first lab experiment in 2005, shortly after van Aken took over as CEO.

Since then, the company has faced numerous challenges in scaling its technology, securing permits, and obtaining financing.

With the facility’s construction complete, the company is poised to start full-scale production.

“This is a critical phase,” said van Aken. “The challenge now is to ensure the plant operates smoothly and delivers a consistent, high-quality product, proving to everyone that we are ready for the next step.”

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Avantium partnered with Origin Materials to accelerate the mass production of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and (polyethylene furanoate) PEF for use in advanced chemicals and plastics.

The partnership aims to combine the strengths of Origin’s patented carbon-negative technology platform with Avantium’s YXY Technology.

Origin Materials’ patented technology platform takes carbon from sustainable wood residues and turns it into building block chemicals such as CMF.

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