In June this year, Braskem completed a 30% increase in production capacity of its bio-based ethylene plant, located in the Petrochemical Complex of Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The US$ 87 million investment aims to meet the growing global demand for sustainable products. The plant now operates at an increased capacity of 260,000 tonnes/year, an increase of 60,000 tonnes/year that is now available to produce larger quantities of bio-based polyethylene (PE) resins including HDPE, LLDPE, LDPE and EVA. Braskem’s bio-based ethylene is made from sustainably sourced, sugarcane-based ethanol which removes CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it in products for daily use.
The initiative is an important advance in the company's ambition to increase the production of biopolymers to one million tons by 2030, and to become carbon neutral by 2050.
"The expansion of bio-based ethylene capacity reinforces Braskem’s commitment to sustainable development and innovation and proves the success of the strategy we engaged in thirteen years ago, when we launched the world’s first bio-based polyethylene production at industrial scale, with proprietary technology. We want to meet society's and customers' demand for products with less impact on the environment,” explains Walmir Soller, O/P VP for Europe and Asia and responsible for the I’m greenTM bio-based business globally.
Each tonne of PE resin made from renewable feedstock represents the removal of 3 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere. Since the plant's beginning in 2010, more than 1.2 million tons of I’m greenT bio-based polyethylene has been produced. The recent increase in production capacity will remove approximately 185,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per year.
Braskem is the world leader in the production of biopolymers. Today, the portfolio of bio-based resins is exported to more than 30 countries and is used in products from more than 250 major brands, such as Allbirds, DUO UK, Grupo Boticário, Johnson&Johnson, Natura & Co, Nissin, and Tetra Pak. These bio-based resins are used to manufacture packaging, bags, toys, housewares, industrial cables and wires, packaging films, hockey fields, and reusable water bottles among many other products.