TAGS: Biobased Solutions Avantium has inaugurated its plant-based mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) demonstration factory in Chemie Park Delfzijl, the Netherlands, bringing a solution to reduce the reliance on fossil resources. The opening ceremonies are hosted by Nienke Homan, regional minister of the province of Groningen, the Netherlands and Avantium CEO Tom van Aken. Avantium additionally announces the naming of this innovative technology to produce plant-based MEG: Ray Technology™ - A Bright Step to The Future. The opening celebrates a significant milestone in commercializing the production of plant-based MEG, a vital ingredient in the production of polyesters widely used in textiles and packaging. Today, 99 percent of MEG is produced from fossil resources representing a value of approximately $25 billion. This market is expected to rapidly grow in the coming decades, providing a great opportunity for the introduction of plant-based MEG as part of the transition to a more renewable world. In addition to its sustainability advantages, the production of plant-based MEG with Ray Technology™ is cost competitive to fossil-based MEG. The Ray Technology™ demonstration plant with an industrially relevant capacity of 10 tons annually will also produce plant-based MPG (mono-propylene glycol) which is used in a diverse set of industries such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food flavoring, and deicing. Avantium CEO Tom van Aken: “ ” The end-to-end plant-based Ray Technology™ demonstration plant will cover all process steps in converting industrial sugars to glycols, allowing the production of MEG and MPG samples that are representative of the final product from subsequent commercial-scale plants. Zanna McFerson, Managing Director of Avantium renewable chemistries, comments: “ ” “ ,” added McFerson.
Avantium has opened a demonstration factory in the Avantium for its new plant-based mono-ethylene glycol ( MEG ) production technology, which converts industrial sugars to glycols. The company's MEG offers a sustainable alternative to the production of the ingredient, which is vital for creating polyester. While 99% of current MEG is generated using fossil fuels, Netherlands 's facility in MEG has an annual capacity of 10 mt and will be cost competitive compared with fossil fuel-based MEG plants. If the newly opened facility is successful, the company plans to commission a commercial plant for 2024 .