Avantium opens its bio-MEG demo plant and rebrands the technology as Ray
Type of post: NEWS.
Avantium has
inaugurated its plant-based MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) demonstration factory in
Chemie Park Delfzijl (Netherlands), bringing industry yet another solution to
reduce the reliance on fossil resources. Moreover, Avantium has announced the rebranding
of this innovative technology: Ray Technology™ (former Mekong) - A Bright Step
to The Future.
Press release: “Avantium advances its plant-based
MEG technology with the opening of its demonstrating plant”, 7/11/2019.
Related posts:
- “Avantium
starts the construction of a bio-MEG demo plant based on its Mekong technology”,
14/6/2018.
- “Chemie
Park Delfzijl will host the demonstration plant for Avantium’s Mekong
technology”, 28/3/2019.
Figure 1. Ray Technology
The opening celebrates a significant milestone
in commercializing the production of plant-based MEG, a vital ingredient in the
production of polyesters widely used in textiles and packaging. Today, 99% of MEG
is produced from fossil resources representing a value of approximately 25,000 M$.
This market is expected to rapidly grow in the coming decades, providing a
great opportunity for the introduction of plant-based MEG as part of the
transition to a more renewable world. In addition to its sustainability advantages,
the production of plant-based MEG with Ray Technology™ is cost competitive to
fossil-based MEG.
Highlights
- The demo plant has a capacity of 10 tons
annually and it will also produce plant-based MPG (mono-propylene glycol) which
is used in a diverse set of industries (cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food…).
- The demo plant will cover all process steps
in converting industrial sugars to glycols, allowing for the production of MEG
and MPG samples that are representative of the final product from subsequent
commercial-scale plants.
- The opening is a significant step towards the
first commercial plant, aimed for start-up in 2024.
- Commercial conversations are already ongoing
with partners who see an economic opportunity with Ray Technology™: feedstock
providers, chemical companies and consumer brands.
How does Ray Technology™ work?
It is a highly efficient one-step hydrogenolysis
process to produce MEG from plant-based sugars, with a maximum theoretical
yield of 100% and a practical yield of over 70%. As starting point, Avantium
will use sugars from various 1st generation feedstock (sugar beet, sugar cane, wheat
and corn) as well as 2nd generation non-food feedstock (forestry or
agricultural residues converted into sugars by Avantium’s Dawn Technology™). Internal
calculations show that the process significantly reduces the CO2
equivalent versus traditional processes to produce fossil-based MEG: around 70%.
This internal calculation will be validated by an independent Life Cycle Analysis
(LCA).