In Japan, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Oriental Petrochemical (Taiwan) Co., Ltd., and Marubeni Corporation have partnered to establish a supply chain for biobased purified terephthalic acid. The collaborators hope to use the PTA to produce biobased polyethylene terephthalate, with the first plant starting up in Tawan later this year.
Under the terms of the agreement, Idemitsu Kosan will produce paraxylene from biobased naphtha using the mass balance method. OPTC, a PTA manufacturer under the Far Eastern New Century Group, will then convert the biobased paraxylene into PTA. Marubeni Corporation will oversee the coordination of the supply chain’s establishment and the marketing of the biomass products.
“Through this newly established supply chain, the three companies will contribute to CO2 reduction in the plastics industry and the swifter realization of a low-carbon society,” the companies said in a press statement.