Total Corbion PLA inaugurates 75 ktpa bioplastics plant

Bioplastics company Total Corbion PLA has officially inaugurated its 75-kilotonne-per-annum (ktpa) polylactic acid (PLA) production plant in Rayong, Thailand.

Billed as “the world’s second largest PLA plant”, the new unit will increase global PLA production by 50 percent to 240 ktpa, according to a Total Corbion statement Sept. 9.

The 50:50 joint venture between the French energy giant Total and Dutch biochemicals company Corbion was set up in the Netherlands in late 2016 for the development of PLA bioplastic.

The new industrial-scale facility will produce a broad range of Luminy PLA resins from renewable, non-GMO sugarcane sourced locally in Thailand. These include standard PLA, high heat PLA and PDLA with “unique properties”. 

In operation since the end of 2018, the facility also includes a 100 ktpa lactide plant, which produces the monomer required for the production of PLA, and a 1 ktpa PLA pilot plant, used for product development. 

Combined with Corbion’s lactic acid plant, located on the same site, the plant enables a fully integrated production chain from sugar to PLA.

“This is a moment of great pride for me and the teams of Total Corbion PLA” says Stéphane Dion CEO at Total Corbion PLA. 

“In addition to its functionality attributes, PLA brings concrete solutions in terms of sustainability, and we are glad that our state-of-the-art plant is up and running to cater for the growing needs of the market.”

PLA is a fast-growing polymer market with an estimated annual growth rate of 10 percent to 15 percent.

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.

François de Bie, Senior Marketing Director at Total Corbion took time to answer a few questions Plastics News Europe asked about the successful opening of the new plant, and the path traveled to get to this point.

PNE: First of all, congratulations on this achievement! So, what has been the response to your entering the PLA market? 

François de Bie: Customers and converters have welcomed our entrance to the market. Over the past few months, our plant has proven capable of producing high-quality PLA in a very reliable way. Many customers now view us as a credible second source for known application and a knowledgeable partner for application development. 

PNE: Who are the customers buying your PLA and where do they come from? 

François de Bie: We have now sold Luminy PLA to over 200 different customers on all 3 continents. The main markets include packaging, food service ware, 3D printing and various durable applications. 

PNE: What were the biggest challenges regarding this project? 

François de Bie: The market demand for PLA at the moment is very strong, and our biggest challenge is to keep up with the steep increase in the demand for bioplastics. 

PNE: How many people work at the factory? 

François de Bie: We have approximately 100 people working in Thailand. 

PNE: Are there any plans for expanding the plant in the future? 

François de Bie: We are a committed and ambitious player in the PLA bioplastics market; both of our respected parent companies have expressed long term commitment to PLA bioplastics and the Joint Venture.

PNE: Do you see the JV ever setting up a factory elsewhere as well in the future? 

François de Bie: We are a global company and sell globally and will consider all options in case we are going to consider an expansion.

PNE: Is Total Corbion also looking at the possibilities of establishing a recycling stream for PLA? 

François de Bie: Yes, it is very important for us to advance the various end of life options for Luminy PLA. For sure mechanical and chemical recycling are very highly valued end of life options for Luminy PLA. As a company we have already engaged in various project efforts, also with customers and waste collectors and sorters to set this up. On the positive side, our newly opened plant is equipped with the hardware to enable chemical recycling. We are currently using that hardware to chemically recycle post-industrial PLA waste and are exploring whether this could also be used for recycling post-consumer PLA waste.   

PNE: Anything else you would like to add? 

François de Bie: We’ll be at the K-show, where we’ll be displaying various applications using our Luminy PLA. Hopefully we’ll see you there.