60000 Tons PBST Breakthrough Sinopec Launches World First Plant in Hainan

On April 17, Sinopec (Hainan) Polyester New Material Co., Ltd. successfully began trial production at the world’s first continuous industrial PBST plant with a 60,000-ton annual capacity. The project is part of Sinopec’s “Ten Dragons” strategy for developing biodegradable materials and represents a critical step in China’s sustainable plastics roadmap.

The facility adopts cutting-edge proprietary technology developed by Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry, covering the full production chain from raw monomers to structural performance evaluation. The plant includes two continuous polymerization lines producing 20,000 and 40,000 tons per year respectively, supported by integrated utilities.

PBST (polybutylene succinate-co-terephthalate), synthesized from BDO, SA, and PTA, is gaining attention for its superior strength, crystallinity, and thermal resistance. While more costly than PBAT, PBST combines biodegradability with mechanical performance close to conventional plastics, making it suitable for agriculture, packaging, and medical applications.

Sinopec’s PBST mulch film is already being deployed in large-scale cotton fields in Xinjiang, signaling the start of real-world implementation. This aligns with a broader push to address white pollution in farmland. Traditional PE mulch film still dominates over 60% of the market, but high-performance biodegradable films are on the rise, with projections showing the market growing from $58 million in 2024 to $105 million by 2031, an 8.9% CAGR.

In response to national environmental goals, the Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies issued a 2020 directive aiming for full recovery of mulch film by 2025. As regulations tighten and subsidies improve, PBST and other degradable solutions are gaining momentum.

Despite increasing interest, industry players face challenges around cost, degradation timing, and crop compatibility. Major companies like Wanhua Chemical, Kingfa, and Xinjiang Tianye are now racing to improve performance and scalability, making the competition both fierce and fast-evolving.

Sinopec’s landmark PBST plant signals a new phase in sustainable agriculture and biodegradable materials, setting a precedent for the next wave of green innovation in China and beyond.