Sulzer will supply its cutting-edge polylactic acid (PLA) production technologies to
The new state-of-the-art bioplastics plant will produce 75'000 tonnes of compostable, wholly recyclable bioplastic per year using sugarcane as a feedstock. It will be located adjacent to one of BCML's sugar cane processing facilities, enabling BCML to use the country's main agricultural crop to make a major contribution to the nation's sustainability aims.
Single-use plastic waste has been a major environmental issue in the world and many countries are encouraging the adoption of bioplastics, especially for packaging materials. Polylactic acid is a bio-based, compostable and wholly recyclable biopolymer that is produced from renewable feedstocks, such as sugar cane. The technologies required to enable the production process for this material have been developed and optimized by Sulzer. They have been designed to help industry meet the increasing global demand for high-performance, more sustainable products in an economically viable way.
Playing a key role in the realization of the plant, Sulzer will deliver the manufacturing technologies for the key process stages including lactide synthesis, lactide purification and polymerization. As the leading global supplier of key equipment for bioplastics production, Sulzer's expertise is used in most PLA manufacturing plants in the world. Once this latest plant is complete, the company's field service experts will also be on-hand to support the commissioning and start-up procedures.
Projects like this exemplify Sulzer's focus on supporting essential industries that can contribute to a more prosperous economy and sustainable society. In addition to supporting the company's sustainability goals, the new bioplastics plant will provide further diversification for the sugar producer, adding to its bioethanol and power generation schemes. Since the sugar market is heavily regulated and exports carefully managed, the potential for increasing margins is limited. In contrast, the demand for bioplastics is growing rapidly as more applications look to take advantage of the environmental benefits and reduced energy costs in production.
Sulzer Chemtech Division President
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