17. Sep 2018

Kaneka expanding, plans to add PHBH capacity to Takasago site

Kaneka Corporation, headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo has announced that it is planning a capacity expansion of its Takasago manufacturing facility for the production of its biodegradable polymer Kaneka Biodegradable Polymer PHBH.

mThe production capacity will be about 5,000 tons per year and require an investment of 2.5 billion yen. The plant will start up operations in December 2019.

“Kaneka Biodegradable Polymer PHBH” is 100% plant-based and offers superior biodegradability. The polymer is stable under everyday usage conditions. At the same time, it will biodegrade in either anaerobic, aerobic or marine conditions in the natural environment, ultimately being converted into carbon dioxide and water. Because it is completely bio-based, it produces less carbon dioxide than fossil-based polymers and can contribute to the prevention of global warming.
Current applications include fruit and vegetable bags as well as compost bags, mainly in Europe, where stringent legislation intended to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags has been a major factor in pushing up sales. Moreover, while marine pollution by microplastics is increasingly becoming a global concern, PHBH is certified as biodegradable in seawater, in addition to being approved by the FDA as a “Food Contact Substance” in March of this year. We expect demand for PHBH to rise as it finds more and more application in food packaging or marine products in the future.

The market for biodegradable plastic is expected to expand substantially, with global demand predicted to reach over a million tons in 2022. By expanding its manufacturing capacity now, Kaneka is establishing a production facility able to meet rapidly growing demands and at the same time develop further applications. In fact, we have already begun to consider our next step: building a commercial plant with an annual production capacity of 20,000 tons to achieve full-scale business expansion.

http://www.kaneka.be

Privacy policy notice

This website uses external components, such as Fonts, maps, videos or analysis tools that can all be used to collect data about your behavior. Privacy policy