Avantium and Sukano sign offtake agreement to develop masterbatches for PEF

In the Netherlands, Avantium N.V. signed a conditional offtake agreement with Sukano AG, an expert in additive and colour masterbatches and compounds for polyester and specialty resins. With PEF from Avantium’s FDCA Flagship Plant, Sukano will develop masterbatches for PEF resins, facilitating fast adoption in many diversified markets and thus accelerating the growth of PEF.

The masterbatches are tailored to impart properties to plastics and as such are an effective way to diversify and expand polymer applications.

Avantium recently announced that it has started the construction of the world’s first commercial plant for the production of FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) from plant-based sugars. FDCA is the key ingredient for making the sustainable, circular and high-performance plastic material PEF (polyethylene furanoate). Avantium expects that construction of this FDCA Flagship Plant is completed by the end of 2023, enabling the commercial launch of PEF from 2024 onwards. In 2021, Avantium generated offtake commitments for half of the Flagship Plant’s capacity.