Total Corbion PLA held an opening ceremony yesterday (September 9) for its bioplastics plant with an annual capacity of 75,000 tons of PLA. The new plant in Rayong, Thailand, has increased Total Corbion PLA's multi-purpose biopolymer capacity by 50%.
PLA bioplastics are produced from bio-based materials, can be biodegraded, can provide a variety of environmentally friendly after-use solutions, and contribute to the development of circular economy.
"This is a moment of great pride for me and Total Corbion PLA," said Stéphane Dion, CEO of Total Corbion PLA.
In addition to its features, PLA also provides specific solutions in terms of sustainability, and we are very pleased that our state-of-the-art plant can be put into operation to meet the growing needs of the market.
The new plant will produce a range of Luminy® polylactic acid resins from Thailand's locally renewable, non-GMO sugarcane. The plant has been operating since the end of 2018.
In addition, Total Corbion PLA operates a lactic acid plant with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons, which produces monomers required for PLA. Total Corbion PLA also operates a PLA pilot plant focused on product development with an annual capacity of 1,000 tons. Coupled with Corbion's co-located lactic acid plant, Total Corbion PLA has established a complete production chain from sugar to polylactic acid in Thailand.
Total Corbion PLA is a factory jointly invested and established by French Total Group and Corbion, with 50% shareholding in both companies.
The ceremony for the new plant was chaired by Duangjai Asawachintachit, Secretary General of the Thai Investment Commission. Dr. Somchint Pilouk of the Thai Industrial Property Authority, Mr. Jirasak Tapajot, Mayor of Ban Chang District, and His Excellency Jacques Lapuji, French Ambassador were also invited to the ceremony.