Business & Policy | News & Insights

PEFerence declares the official launch of the first commercial FDCA

Published: July 30, 2024
Author: TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN

The first commercial flagship facility for furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) in Chemie Park Delfzijl in the Netherlands has been completed after seven years of operation, as announced with great pleasure by the twelve partners of the Horizon 2020 project PEFerence.

PEFerence will also co-organize the inaugural PEF World Congress, which will take place in Düsseldorf, Germany, on October 30-31, 2024, to coincide with this momentous occasion. The conference, which is being hosted by Renewable Carbon Plastics, will provide a global forum for talking about cutting-edge uses of FDCA and polyethylene furanoate (PEF), as well as industry trends and PEF’s future.

Hürth, 30 July 2024: The newly constructed 5-kiloton FDCA flagship plant generates plant-based FDCA, an essential component of many different compounds and polymers, including PEF (PolyEthyleneFuranoate), coatings, polyamides, and plasticizers. PEF is a polyester made entirely of plants that is utilized in many different applications, such as textile fibers, flexible films, and bottles. Similar to PET, PEF is a polyester but is entirely plant-based. Its remarkable mechanical and barrier qualities allow it to be lightweight, prolong the shelf life of packaged goods, and reduce carbon emissions by at least 65%. Moreover, PEF is ideal for recycling without sacrificing its worth or quality, allowing for completely circular solutions.

The PEFerence project coordinator, Ed de Jong of Avantium, emphasizes the flagship facility’s critical role in accelerating the shift to a circular European bioeconomy: “The opening of this flagship plant is a pivotal moment for PEFerence and the bioplastics industry as a whole.” PEF is a material of the future since it provides a special performance profile and a sustainable substitute for conventional plastics.” The PEFerence project is happy to contribute to the PEF World Congress, which will bring together academics, developers, and users of PEF and its building blocks, FDCA and HMF, to explore industry trends, developments, and applications. He goes on to say this about the conference.

In order to host the First PEF World Congress, PEFerence is assisting Renewable Carbon Plastics. Leading figures from the industry throughout the whole value chain will present on PEF, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and FDCA, as well as applications and end-of-life solutions, at this international conference. Additionally, the concurrent table-top display will offer fantastic chances for networking. The two-day hybrid conference is scheduled for October 30 and 31, 2024, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

A significant step toward defossilizating the chemical and materials industries and utilizing sustainable renewable feedstocks is the construction of the flagship facility and the PEF World Congress.

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