ABB Wins NatureWorks PLA Automation Contract
Swedish-Swiss technology conglomerate ABB has won a contract from NatureWorks to automate the bioplastics producer’s proposed greenfield polylactic acid (PLA) plant in Thailand. NatureWorks is planning to spend more than $600 million on the facility in Nakhon Sawan province, which will ferment and distill plant-based sugars and convert them first to lactic acid, then lactide and polymerize them into Ingeo PLA.
The three separate production processes will be fully integrated, producing 75,000 t/y of PLA when fully operational in the second half of 2024. Construction is set to start in the second quarter of 2022.
ABB’s scope of work is a two-part order that includes a front-end engineering design study followed by the project’s detailed automation. Leveraging its Ability System 800xA technology, ABB will integrate inputs from all key systems into one single user-friendly overview, enabling operators to use real-time data insights from all areas of the plant to drive efficiency, reduce risk and optimize production.
“We are proud to support NatureWorks in addressing the increasing demand for sustainable high-performance materials and helping maximize both energy and production efficiency in the new facility,” said Brandon Spencer, president of ABB Energy Industries.
According to NatureWorks, manufacturing Ingeo reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 80% compared with polymers based on traditional fossil feedstocks, and also uses 52% less non-renewable energy. The Minnesota-based firm added that bioplastics production is expected to grow more than 260% between 2020 and 2026.
Ingeo is currently used in a variety of products, including compostable food packaging to 3D printing filament, diapers and refrigerator liners.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
