이탈리아의 Novamont가 바이오 기반의 BDO 공장을 2014년에 가동한다고 K Show에서 발표했다. Genomatic의 생산 프로세스를 이용해 BDO를 생산하며, Novamont의 생분해성 플라스틱인 Mater-Bi 같은 폴리머에 사용될 수 있다. 생산 능력은 연간 약 4000만 파운드(약 18만톤)가 될 예정이고, 재생 원료 물질로서 생물질 설탕(biomass sugars)을 이용한다.

Novamont는 소수 주식을 소유한 Genomatic과 함께 대주주가 될 것이다.

작년에 Gonomatica는 비록 Novamont가 공장에서 나오는 모든 생산량 구매를 약속했어도, 앞으로의 시장 개발을 지원하는 정도의 구매가 될 것이라고 말했다. 그 거래는 Novamont가 두 번째 BDO공장을 세우고 가동할 수 있는 가능성을 포함하는 것이다.

Novamont's bio-based butanediol (BDO) plant, established as a joint venture with San Diego-, US-based Genomatica, will come on stream next year, sales manager Alberto Castellanza said at the Bioplastics Breakfast conference at the K show.

The converting plant’s start-up in 2014 will see Italy-based Novamont use Genomatic’s production process to make BDO, an intermediate that can be used in polymers like Novamont’s biodegradable plastic, Mater-Bi.

The plant will have a production capacity of approximately 40 million pounds per year and will use biomass sugars as the renewable feedstock.

Novamont will be the majority equity holder, with Genomatic owning a minority share.

Last year, Genomatica said that even though Novamont has committed to purchasing all of the output from the plant, it may purchase a portion to “support further market development”. The deal also includes the possibility that Novamont may build and operate a second BDO plant, added the company.

Castellanza announced the start-up date the first day of the Bioplastics Breakfast, which is taking place 17,18 and 19 Oct. at the K show in Dusseldorf, Germany, and is organised by Bioplastics Magazine.

The theme of the first day of the conference was bioplastics in packaging and one of the main issues pointed out was the importance of bioplastics in packaging compared to other applications.

Francois de Bie, chairman of European Bioplastics, pointed out that although 40% of plastic materials are used in packaging, a massive 80% of bioplastics are used in packaging.

Packaging is often the first thing a consumer sees when buying a product so is very important in improving the manufacturer’s brand image, he said.

Another theme that emerged from the presentations was the importance of data in the feedstocks versus food debate.

De Bie said that total land for bioplastics used is 0.006% of potential arable fields. And Hans Josef Endres from the IFBB in Hanover said that even if all the petroleum-based plastics used in packaging were replaced with bioplastics, the feedstocks would still require less than the total arable land around the world.

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