Braskem Invests $87 Million More in Brazilian Biopolymer Production

Braskem announced on July 24 that the company concluded a 30% increase in the production capacity of its bio-based ethylene plant, located in the Petrochemical Complex of Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The recent $87 million investment in the facility is intended to meet the growing global demand for sustainable products. The plant now operates at an higher capacity, increasing from 200,000 to 260,000 tons yearly.

Braskem’s bio-based ethylene is made from sustainably sourced, sugarcane-based ethanol which removes carbon dioxide (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 green bio-based business globally.

Each ton of plastic resin made from renewable feedstock represents the removal of 3 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Since the plant's beginning in 2010, more than 1.2 million tons of I’m green bio-based polyethylene has been produced. The recent increase in production capacity will remove approximately 185,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per year.

Braskem’s 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.