Novamont Starts Construction of a Demo Plant for the Production of Furandicarboxylic Acid

A 10 million-euro investment with the support of Invitalia

NOVARA and TERNI, Italy, Oct. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In October 2016, on the occasion of the last edition of K, the no. 1 fair for the plastics and rubber industry, Novamont had announced the development of a proprietary technology for the production of hydroxymethylfurfural acid, furandicarboxylic acid and a series of polymers for captive use.

Backing up its words with action, Novamont has now announced a 10 million-euro investment programme, as part of the expansion and diversification of its production plant in Terni, for the construction of a demonstration plant dedicated to a new monomer of vegetable origin derived from sugars (2.5 furandicarboxylic or FDCA).

FDCA is a platform for multiple applications and Novamont will use it as a raw material for the synthesis of polyesters and biodegradable and compostable biomaterials. This will enable the production of fifth-generation MATER-BI as well as a series of products with oxygen and carbon dioxide barrier properties for the food packaging sector.

In this way Novamont is continuing its process of innovation in the bioeconomy sector by way of a new proprietary technology. Similarly, the range of biodegradable and compostable polymers and polymeric alloys that are to be produced, offering high performance under actual use conditions, are also proprietary.

The investment was made possible with the support of Invitalia, the Italian agency for inward investment and economic development under the Ministry of the Economy, which is financing the project with subsidies of 5.8 million euros (5 million in a subsidised loan and an unsecured loan for the remainder).

Upon completion of the industrialisation phase, scheduled for the end of 2021, the Terni plant for the production of furandicarboxylic acid will be another bioeconomy infrastructure integrated in the local area and interconnected with the group's other sites.

The Novamont Group is world leader in the development and production of bioplastics and biochemicals through the integration of chemistry, the environment and agriculture. With more than 600 employees, it registered a turnover of €238 million in 2018 and made continuous investments in research and development activities (5% of its turnover and more than 20% of its staff); it has a portfolio of around 1,800 patents. The group has its headquarters in Novara, a production facility in Terni and research laboratories in Novara, Terni and Piana di Monte Verna (CE). The Novamont subsidiaries are based in Bottrighe (RO), Patrica (FR) and Porto Torres (SS). Active in Germany, France and the United States through commercial offices and a representative office in Brussels (Belgium). Novamont operates through own distributors in more than 40 countries all over the world.

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