In the Netherlands, Total Corbion PLA, a 50/50 joint venture between Total and Corbion, started up its 75,000 tons per year PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) bioplastics plant in Rayong, Thailand. 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 PDLA with unique properties. At the end of their useful life, PLA products can be mechanically or chemically recycled, or in some cases composted and returned to the soil as fertilizer.
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 tons per year production capacity.
The start-up marks a major milestone for both the joint venture and the bioplastics market. With this additional 75,000 tons per year facility, the global production of PLA bioplastics will increase by almost 50%, to 240,000 tons per year.
“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,” said Stephane Dion, CEO of the company.