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Avantium to build FDCA flagship plant at Chemie Park Delfzijl in the Netherlands

The Netherlands-headed renewable chemical process developer Avantium B.V. has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Avantium Renewable Polymers, has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to locate its new flagship plant at Chemie Park Delfzijl, the Netherlands. The 5 000 tonne-per annum facility will produce plant-based furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) – a key building block for many chemicals and plastics such as polyethylene furanoate (PEF).

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Avantium Renewable Polymers has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to locate its new flagship plant at Chemie Park Delfzijl, the Netherlands. The 5 000 tonne-per annum facility will produce plant-based furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) – a key building block for many chemicals and plastics such as polyethylene furanoate (PEF). The company has also entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) with a Regional Consortium relating to the financing of the FDCA flagship plant and associated costs, for an amount of EUR 30 million, over the period to the plant’s completion in 2023.

According to a statement, Avantium Renewable Polymers has also entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) with a Regional Consortium relating to the financing of the FDCA flagship plant and associated costs, for an amount of EUR 30 million, over the period to the plant’s completion in 2023.

Avantium and the Regional Consortium, comprising the Province of Groningen, Groningen Seaports, NOM (Investment and Development Agency for the Northern Netherlands), FondsNieuweDoen, Investeringsfonds Groningen and Groeifonds, believe the new plant will be an important step in helping transition the chemicals industry away from fossil resources and towards sustainable feedstocks.

The new FDCA flagship plant will be located near Avantium’s demonstration plant for plant-based mono-ethylene glycol (MEG), and its pilot biorefinery, producing glucose and lignin from non-food biomass.

Avantium and Groningen share an ambition to support the transition to a circular economy. Along with the increased innovation, the flagship plant will bring to the region, the Avantium plant will create over 60 highly skilled jobs and provides significant indirect employment opportunities. Avantium’s decision to build its plant at Delfzijl is a testament to the strong ecosystem that the region provides for green chemistry said Nienke Homan, Regional Minister of the Province of Groningen.

The regional consortium members and Avantium Renewable Polymers have entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) relating to conditional financing of EUR 30 million for the engineering and construction of the flagship plant, working capital, start-up costs and operations of Avantium Renewable Polymers. The financing of the regional consortium is subject to customary conditions, including due diligence and completion of documentation, and formal decisions by Avantium on the construction of the plant and the associated capital expenditure.

Avantium’s business fits perfectly into our Chemport Europe ecosystem where we work together on a shared ambition: changing the nature of chemistry. It is our goal to achieve a fully sustainable chemical industry by 2050, said Cas König, CEO of Groningen Seaports.

The definitive financing mix is to be determined over the coming months but is intended to comprise grants, equity, and debt. Furthermore, the region is supporting Avantium in its search for additional grants and other financial instruments in respect of the required expenses needed for the start-up of the flagship plant.

Groningen Seaports offers us an excellent location with the right infrastructure. The Province of Groningen is at the forefront of green chemistry development and has an exceptional reputation in investing in technologies for a sustainable future. We are delighted to have reached another important step in Avantium Renewable Polymers’ funding process for its FDCA flagship plant. Together with the PEFerence grant and the investments by Avantium, we are on track to attract the funding for the FDCA flagship plant, which we aim to have in place before the end of 2020. We are now focused on progressing our discussions with potential strategic partners, said Tom van Aken, CEO of Avantium.

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