Thailand’s SCG Chemicals (SCGC), one of the largest integrated petrochemical companies in Asia, is set to build a bio-based ethylene factory producing plastic materials made from plants. The factory will have a production capacity of 200,000 tons per year. It will be located in Thailand, in the Map Ta Phut area of Rayong, and will produce bio-ethylene, a major feedstock used for making bio-based polyethylene (PE), in 2025. The company has set a target to produce up to 1 million tons of green polymers by 2030.
For this project, SCGC is partnering with the Brazilian Braskem, a leading biopolymer producer. The two companies, who conducted a joint feasibility study into the project’s potential, plan to form a joint venture to push ahead with the ethylene production project.
Bio-based PE plastic is made of plants, such as sugar cane, which are considered renewable resources and, therefore, sustainable. It is expected that Thai sugar cane and cassava farmers will benefit by having an additional source of revenue for their farm produce.
(Source: Bangkok Post)
