#Yarn & Fiber

2023-10-19

NatureWorks announces next phase of construction on new fully integrated Ingeo™ PLA biopolymer manufacturing facility in Thailand

Construction on NatureWorks’s new Ingeo PLA manufacturing facility in Thailand is on track with production and start-up activities projected to begin in 2025. © 2023 NatureWorks

NatureWorks, a leading manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers made from renewable resources has made significant progress on the construction of their new fully integrated Ingeo™? PLA biopolymer manufacturing facility in Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand. As a fully integrated PLA complex, the plant will include three manufacturing facilities: lactic acid fermentation, lactide monomer production, and polymerization. The facility will have an annual capacity of 75,000 tons of Ingeo biopolymer and produce the full portfolio of Ingeo grades. This effort reflects the company’s commitment to expanding customer access to fully biobased, low-carbon biomaterials with unique performance attributes valued by global downstream packaging and fiber markets.

The leading manufacturer of low-carbon polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers is on track to complete construction on their newest manufacturing facility with full production anticipated in 2025

“The construction of our new facility is a significant undertaking that represents NatureWorks’ continued investment both in the Asia Pacific region and in the expansion of the biobased materials market,” said Steve Bray, VP of Operations at NatureWorks. “We have seen a rise in demand for Ingeo biopolymers throughout the Asia Pacific region, and this new complex will allow us to continue to sustainably and efficiently supply our markets with the highest quality biopolymers.”

The construction of this new facility will support rapid growth in multiple different markets including 3D printing, nonwovens for hygiene, compostable coffee capsules, tea bags, flexible packaging, and sustainable food serviceware. Construction is on track to support projected start-up activities and full production in 2025. Ingeo biopolymer produced at this site will be made from sugarcane, an annually renewable feedstock that is locally abundant and will be sourced from farms within a 50-kilometer radius of the Nakhon Sawan site.

“Over the last decade, the global materials market increasingly prioritized the use of biobased, sustainably sourced materials in order to reduce the impact on climate and facilitate climate-friendly processes like food scrap diversion from landfill to compost through the use of compostable materials,” said Jill Zullo, CEO at NatureWorks. “The market’s evolution has redefined the scope of what we can accomplish, allowing us to think bigger when it comes to our manufacturing expansion. This new facility will enable us to meet growing consumer demand and continue providing unparalleled service to our international customer base.”

NatureWorks also continues to strengthen its position in the United States. Most recently the company was honored with leading industry safety awards for its facilities in Minnesota and Nebraska. The Minnesota Safety Council awarded NatureWorks the Award of Honor, their top award, for employee safety efforts at their global headquarters and advanced biopolymers R&D facility in Plymouth, Minn. The Nebraska National Safety Council recognized the NatureWorks manufacturing facility in Blair, Nebr. as one of Nebraska’s Safest Companies with Distinction for the 20th year in a row.

Critical equipment is now onsite at the new NatureWorks manufacturing including the melt crystallizer, which will allow production of the full portfolio of high performance Ingeo grades including those designed for high heat applications. © 2023 NatureWorks

“We are a safety-first culture at NatureWorks,” said Bill Suehr, Chief Operating Officer at NatureWorks. “It’s a core value for operations in our current facilities that also extends to our teams and partners involved in constructing and running our new manufacturing plant in Thailand.”

NatureWorks welcomes new CGO and CFO as company enters new growth phase

Roger Tambay, Chief Growth Officer, and Roger Kempa, Chief Financial Officer, join NatureWorks as the company prepares to open their new fully integrated Ingeo™? PLA manufacturing facility in Thailand becoming the first PLA biopolymer producer to expand globally with a second manufacturing facility.

NatureWorks’ Ingeo PLA manufacturing expansion attracts Rrecord financing from Krungthai Bank PCL of Thailand

NatureWorks, a leading manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers made from renewable resources, today announced the historic financial support from Krungthai Bank PCL to optimize the capital structure for the new fully-integrated Ingeo™? PLA manufacturing facility in Thailand. The financing from Krungthai Bank, Thailand’s third largest bank, amounting to $350M USD (12,600M Baht Equivalent), is one of the singular largest loans in the bank’s decades-long history and shows confidence in NatureWorks’ market leadership and global economic impact. Today, the companies participated in a signing ceremony to celebrate this milestone.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

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Grasim Industries announces fresh investment of ₹3094 Crore to expand Lyocell capacity

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Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

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Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

ITM 2026 makes happy participants with its international and qualified visitor profile

ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, one of the most prestigious meeting points of the textile machinery sector, attracted attention in its first three days, particularly with its diverse international visitor numbers. Industry professionals from all over the world had the opportunity to closely examine the latest technology machines and solutions displayed in operation. Thousands of visitors from approximately 100 countries, primarily Egypt, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, met at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center for new investment and cooperation opportunities.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.