Avantium and EPC Engineering & Technologies Collaborate to Commercialize PEF Production Technology

Avantium, a leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, has signed a collaboration agreement with EPC Engineering & Technologies, an international technology provider and engineering and plant construction company.

The collaboration aims to advance continuous PEF polyester production technology with the goal of achieving annual production capacity of 100,000 tons and above. The collaboration will combine the expertise of both companies to commercialize PEF continuous polymerization (PEF cPol technology).

Avantium and EPC will integrate their respective technologies and processes, as well as solid state polymerization (SSP) from POLYMETRIX AG. PEF cPol technology will be included in Vanadium's YXY technology license package. EPC will provide engineering, plant construction services and key equipment, including POLYMETRIX's SSP equipment, to Avantium's future licensees.

Avantium developed its proprietary YXY technology to produce FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), a building block for the fully plant-based circular polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate).

Karol Kerrane, Managing Director of EPC Engineering Technologies, commented: “EPC is constantly striving to find technological solutions to overcome global environmental challenges. Through this international collaboration with Avantium, we have every confidence that together we can achieve great success by providing global best practice continuous PEF production.”

Bart Langius, Licensing Director of Avantium, added: “This collaboration with EPC and POLYMETRIX marks a step forward in our mission to increase renewable and circular polymer PEF in the polyester industry. By combining our expertise with EPC and POLYMETRIX, we believe we can offer our potential licensing partners a comprehensive licensing package combining Avantium’s YXY technology with continuous PEF polymerization technology to provide a high-performance alternative to fossil-based plastics.”