Kuraray to invest US$140 million in new EVAL factory in Singapore

Kuraray Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. announced a US$140 million investment in a new ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer plant on Jurong Island, Singapore, to consolidate its position as the market leader.

Globally, the company expects demand for EVOH to grow 5%-6% annually due to rising living standards in emerging economies. In addition, increasingly stringent regulations regarding packaging materials and the need for environmentally friendly materials are also a reason for the expansion.

The new plant has a front-end production capacity of 36,000 tons per year and a back-end production capacity of 18,000 tons per year. The front-end process will build a capacity of 36,000 tons/year, with future expansion in mind. The back-end process is divided into two stages, the first stage is being executed at this time. The operation will begin in late 2026.

Kuraray currently produces 103,000 tons of EVAL™ per year in Japan, the Americas and Europe. It is planning to expand in the Americas and Europe.