The Polish synthetic rubber and polystyrene producer said that given the confidence in the technology and strong demand for renewable materials, it has committed to building a plant producing 40,000 t/y of bio-butadiene, twice as much capacity as originally planned. In addition, Synthos confirmed it will license BASF's butadiene extraction technology from Lummus and leverage the technology group's digitalization capabilities for operational efficiency and reliability.

"Synthos is making great strides in developing a synthetic rubber product portfolio with a significantly reduced environmental footprint. Entering the next phase of our collaboration with Lummus is another step toward our commitment to support our customers achieve their performance and sustainability goals, said the company’s synthetic rubber business unit director, Matteo Marchisio.

"We believe the availability of sustainable synthetic rubber made from bio-butadiene will play an important role in the industry’s ability to meet the demands of modern mobility, and we are proud to partner with Lummus Technology to lead the way," Marchisio added.

Synthos and Lummus began collaborating last year to commercialize bio-butadiene derived from bio-ethanol and enable the production of more sustainable synthetic rubber. The Oswiecim-based producer plans to raise the share of renewable raw materials in its feedstock base by 2030, also aiming to produce 100% sustainable products by 2030.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist