MOU with Kolon Group for PHA production from food waste
Paques Biomaterials, located in Balk (Netherlands) signed a three-part MOU together with two multinationals from South Korea. Kolon Industries, a leading company in chemical materials and textiles and Kolon Global, a leading construction company, both part of the Kolon Group. The collaboration of these three companies focuses on developing large-scale PHA production from food waste in South Korea.
Manufacture PHA on a major scale
“This is a significant step in the scale-up of our company,” says Joost Paques, CEO of Paques Biomaterials. Kolon Industries already has technologies to manufacture various sustainable products, such as 100% plant-based polyester, recycled PET and biodegradable PBAT. For them to add our product, Caleyda shows the potential. With a large-scale PHA production from food waste facility in South Korea, we will soon be able to manufacture PHA on a major scale.”
“The potential for PHA is enormous. According to European Bioplastics, global demand for PHA will triple in the next few years. The global bioplastics market is estimated to grow from 2.2 million tonnes in 2022 to 6.3 million tonnes in 2027. For PHA, that means growth from 87 thousand tonnes in 2022 to 561 thousand tonnes in 2027. Our aim is to obtain a large market share in this, and the cooperation with Kolon Industries and Kolon Global will contribute significantly to this aim.”
PHA is a natural polymer produced by microorganisms using plant biomass. Among various bioplastics, it is known to have the best biodegradation performance in natural environments such as soil and ocean, without any specific equipment or conditions. PHA is expected to be key solution for plastic pollution and that is exactly why Kolon Industries and Kolon Global decided to collaborate with Paques Biomaterials.
“This cooperation is meaningful in that we will be able to secure resources and technologies for the production of eco-friendly materials in Korea,” says Yeong-bom Kim, CEO of Kolon Industries. “We will continue to take the lead in building a sustainable polymer economy utilizing renewable resources.”
PHA production from food waste
“The environmental treatment facility that combines Kolon Global’s waste treatment technology and PHA production technology will have the effect of killing two birds with one stone to obtain high value-added biomaterials and treat waste at the same time,” explained Jeong-il Kim, CEO of Kolon Global.
“That a world player in biopolymers like Kolon Global and Kolon Industries decided to implement our PHA technology confirms the potential and gives us the opportunity to start large-scale production of PHA,” concludes Joost Paques.
