Italian bioplastics company Novamont has completed the second phase of its project to redevelop the Mater-Biopolymer plant in Patrica, France. The project has doubled the production capacity of the ORIGO-BI family of biopolyesters, which are used to improve the properties of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics. Novamont has invested €500m ($590m) in plants and €200m in research and development, and employs 700 people directly and 2,000 indirectly. The company aims to build an Italian bioplastic and biochemical supply chain integrating research, agriculture and industry.
Novara – On completing the acquisition of 100% of Mater-Biopolymer from the Mossi & Ghisolfi group in 2016, Novamont launched the second phase of the project to redevelop the Mater-Biopolymer plant in Patrica (FR), doubling the production capacity of the ORIGO-BI family of biopolyesters, used to improve the technical, economic and environmental properties of MATER-Bi® biodegradable and compostable bioplastics. Together with the development of new chemicals and production processes, this has given a strong new impetus to upstream integration of the Novamont production line.
In 2009, the Mater-Biopolymer plant in Patrica belonged to M&G, had two PET production lines and had stopped production on one line. From 2009, a partnership enabled Novamont to start working on gradually converting this line to its technology. In 2011, the first continuous plant for production of ORIGO-BI – biodegradable polyesters obtained from monomers from vegetable oils – was inaugurated. It has since become a flagship plant and a link to the Novamont biorefinery. By the end of the first quarter of 2018, when the process to convert the second line will be completed, and taking full advantage of the technological advances made possible by the experience gained from the first line, Novamont will double production capacity of the ORIGO-BI biopolyester range, from 50,000 to 100,000 tonnes per year and achieving a higher content of renewable raw materials.
According to Novamont’s Managing Director Catia Bastioli, “Doubling the production capacity of the Patrica plant is a further step towards building an Italian bioplastic and biochemical supply chain integrating research, agriculture and industry and developing products that can deliver solutions to major environmental problems”.
The Novamont circular bioeconomy model is one of the soundest in Europe in terms of investments and new industry-driven technologies, with €500 million invested in plants, directly or in joint ventures, €200 million in research and development, 700 direct and 2,000 indirect employees, 1,000 employees involved in construction of 4 new world-class plants, 6 abandoned sites in 6 different regions re-industrialised, developments and impacts for agriculture.