Braskem and Haldor Topsoe commission their bio-MEG demo plant



Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

In 2017, Braskem and Haldor Topsoe announced having entered in a new partnership to develop a pioneering route to produce monoethylene glycol (MEG) from renewable resources. Last week, the partners reported the commissioning of the unit to demonstrate the process in Lyngby (Denmark). The operation of the plant marks a decisive step in confirming the technical and economic feasibility of producing renewable MEG on an industrial scale by this route.

Figure 1. New bio-MEG demo plant in Lyngby (extracted from the press release)

MOnoSAccharide IndustrIal Cracker (MOSAIK™), a process developed by Haldor Topsoe, is the basis of the new demonstration plant (see more information about the process and the facility following the link to the related post below). The unit has an annual production capacity of hundreds of tons of glycolaldehyde, a MEG precursor. Various raw materials (sucrose, dextrose and second-generation sugars) will be validated at the plant. Starting in 2020, clients will be able to receive samples to test in their products.

MEG is predominantly used in the manufacture of PET resins, films and fibers. The global MEG market represents a value of approximately 25 billion dollars. The success of this pathway to produce renewable MEG could entail a major advance in competitiveness for green PET. Braskem aims to broaden its I'm greenTM portfolio, which already features green polyethylene and green EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), both made from sugarcane.

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