15. May 2026
Hyosung TNC begins Bio-BDO supply from Vietnam as it prepares for industrial-scale production
Hyosung TNC, the world's largest spandex manufacturer and a leading producer of synthetic materials, is developing industrial-scale production of biobased 1,4-Butanediol (Bio-BDO) at its new facility in Phu My II Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The USD 1 billion facility has been designed to connect sugarcane-based inputs with multiple downstream value chains as demand for lower-impact materials grows. By building this platform at an industrial scale, Hyosung aims to provide chemical and fibre customers with a more resilient, transparent and certifiable route to increasing their use of renewable feedstocks over time.
A drop-in replacement for fossil-derived BDO
For chemical product manufacturers, Hyosung’s Bio-BDO is chemically identical to conventional fossil-derived BDO. It is designed as a direct drop-in replacement requiring no modification to existing downstream assets or production processes and without compromising performance or end-user experience.
This creates a pathway for manufacturers and producers of polyurethane systems, tetrahydrofuran (THF), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), biodegradable packaging and hygiene elastics to gradually increase their use of renewable feedstocks. This is all in line with their own transition plans without capital expenditure on process retooling.
Bio-BDO is a foundational chemical intermediate with applications spanning PU resins, spandex, engineering plastics, speciality solvents such as GBL and fine chemical intermediates. Hyosung’s Vietnam facility is intended to bring a commercially viable, certified biobased source of this molecule to market at meaningful industrial scale for the first time. This supports brands and manufacturers as they prepare for tightening regulations, including Digital Product Passports (DPP), and future climate targets.
Certified supply for tightening regulations
The facility and its products hold International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS), SGS EEPS certification for 70% biobased content, and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 safety approval. Hyosung is also pursuing USDA Bio Preferred status for Bio-BDO, targeted for the third quarter of 2026. Preliminary carbon footprint data is also available, with results based on actual production targeted for the third quarter of 2026.
For industrial partners facing tighter requirements on biobased content, carbon footprint and chemical provenance, the integrated supply chain provides a clear compliance advantage across plastics, textiles and polymers. World’s First Fully Integrated Bio-BDO Platform and Feedstock Efficiency
This development represents an important step in Hyosung’s integrated bio-materials platform. The company is expanding its role beyond fibre supply into circular production of industrial biomaterials that support future applications across textiles, plastics and speciality chemicals. The Vietnam site forms part of the company’s long-term transition pathway from fossil-based inputs to sugarcane-derived Bio-BDO, Bio-PTMG and, ultimately, biobased spandex with a connected value chain. The Vietnam facility has an initial annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes of Bio-BDO, with infrastructure in place to support further scaling-up to 200,000 tonnes per annum as the market for biobased intermediates develops. Unlike conventional BDO, which is derived from coal-based or petrochemical feedstocks, Hyosung's Bio-BDO utilises proven fermentation technology from US partner Geno to convert sugars from sugarcane directly into 1,4-Butanediol.
Compared with multi-stage conversion processes using corn starch or lignocellulosic feedstocks such as wood pulp, sugarcane offers a more efficient single-step fermentation pathway to Bio-BDO. All sugarcane is sourced from Brazil and verified under the VIVE Sustainable Supply Programme, which ensures independent rigorous sustainability and traceability standards are met from field to factory gate.
The Bio-BDO platform in Vietnam underpins an evolution of the journey that Hyosung presented at Global Fashion Summit 2026. The company highlighted how integrated biobased infrastructure, trusted sourcing systems and long-term partnerships are needed to move biobased materials from the margins toward broader commercial adoption.
"The bio business will become a core pillar of Hyosung's strategy for the next 100 years", says Hyun-Joon Cho, Chairman of Hyosung. "We will strengthen our global market presence based on sustainable biomaterials."
Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, Hyosung's Marketing and Sustainability Director, adds: "By establishing the world's only fully integrated commercial-scale production system from biobased BDO to biobased spandex, we are ensuring reliable production and supply stability without compromising performance. Owning the entire chain allows us to provide brands with absolute transparency. We aren't just buying biomass; we are managing the chemistry from the sugar stage through to the finished material, so our partners can move away from fossil-based inputs at a pace that fits their own strategies." AT
www.hyosungtnc.com