300,000 tons of production capacity!

The Institute of Biodegradable Materials reported that Grupa Azoty SA, a well-known Polish chemical company, has launched a pilot line for the production of thermoplastic starch with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons
.
The company also signed a cooperation agreement with Polska Grupa Opakowaniowa Opakomet SA and the Forestry Research Institute, and a letter of intent with the National Forest National Forest Holding Company
.
The contract was signed on May 11, 2021 at the Grupa Azoty R&D Center in Tarnów, confirming the huge commercial potential of the project
.

The new line is a strategic decision by Grupa Azoty in response to Directive (EU) 2019/904 issued by the European Parliament and the Council in June 2019
.
The directive aims to reduce the environmental impact of certain plastic products, while prioritizing sustainable, reusable products
.

The directive states that single-use packaging made of plastics made of modified natural polymers, non-natural bio-based, fossil-based, synthetic substances, etc.
, is prohibited
.
The widely used polylactic acid (PLA), previously considered a biodegradable material, requires a specific composting environment to degrade, but Ban sees PLA as an alternative
.
As a result, demand for documentation-compliant materials such as thermoplastic starches will grow strongly
.
The European starch market is expected to triple by 2030
.

"The production of plastics that are fully degradable in the natural environment is part of the European Green Agreement and is in line with our goals
.
The lack of thermoplastic starch manufacturers in the Polish market and in Central and Eastern Europe makes us a pioneer in TPS production
.
This is a need to fill market, and Grupa Azoty has the technology and experts to do it.
The
pilot plant at the Grupa Azoty R&D Center is optimizing the method of obtaining thermoplastic starch so that the technology developed at the laboratory scale can be tested and scaled up,” said Managing Director, Grupa Azoty SA Tomasz Hinc said
.

Work on this new technology started at Grupa Azoty in August 2019
.
In May 2020, a patent application for the invention was filed with the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland and in March 2021 with the European Patent Office
.

"In response to market demand, we can move the manufacture of thermoplastic starch granules to Grupa Azoty Compounding, where production can be increased eightfold
.
The starch will be Grupa Azoty's first 100% biodegradable product - its fully biodegradable It has been confirmed by tests
.
" said Grzegorz Kądzielawski, Vice President of the Management Board of Grupa Azoty SA, and the new technology has once again demonstrated the effectiveness of Grupa Azoty's R&D facilities
.

Talking about the potential of starch, Grupa Azoty pointed to the high availability and low cost of raw materials
.
Compatibility with available synthetic biodegradable polymers and traditional petroleum-based polymers, as well as product versatility, is also important for Grupa Azoty - sectors that can use it include the food industry (disposable packaging, films, sausage casings), agriculture (films, pots, fertilizers), everyday items (disposable bags, packaging), 3D printing (biodegradable filaments, reels), designer applications (decorations, advertising merchandise) or restaurants and bars (trays, coasters)
.

At a ceremony at the Grupa Azoty R&D Center, three documents on the new technology were signed

The agreement with Polska Grupa Opakowaniowa Opakomet SA provides that Grupa Azoty SA supplies biodegradable polymers based on thermoplastic starch
.

Under the agreement with the Forestry Research Institute, a pilot study will be conducted on the possibility of using biodegradable thermoplastic starch in forestry
.

In the letter of intent signed with the National Forest Holding Company, the parties agreed, among other things, to examine the possibility of using the biodegradable products provided by Grupa Azoty in the daily operations of the holding company
.
The two sides also announced that they will cooperate to develop a circular economy and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint
.