JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #84 - October 2013 - 21

does not include thermosets
and cellulose acetate. There
is a simple reason for this:
although expert estimations
of world thermoset and cellulose acetate production
capacities are available, based
on the global development of
their bio-based precursors, it
is not possible to break down
this information by region.
This study considers only announced capacities.
One noteworthy finding of
other studies is that Europe
shows the strongest demand
for bio-based polymers, while
production tends to take
place elsewhere, namely in
Asia and South America.
The bio-based polymer
production facilities for PLA
and PHA located in Europe
are currently rather small, and
although there are next to no
production capacity figures
for the latter, several pilot
plants are already operating.
On the other hand, bio-based
PUR and PA production has
gradually taken off in Europe

and is likely to remain stable
in order to supply growing
markets in the building &
construction and automotive
sectors.
While Europe does host
industrial production facilities for PBAT which is still
fully fossil-based, PBAT is expected to become increasingly
bio-based reaching shares of
50% by 2020 (Figure 2) to
judge by industry announcements and the capacity
development for its bio-based
precursors. As for PBT (Table
1), recent developments in
the production of bio-based
1.4 butanediol (BDO) have
proven that the bio-based
route to the polymer is commercially feasible and its
production is planned to start
by 2020 (date not disclosed
yet).

blocks for the production of
PA, PUR and thermosets,
among others. However, only
few specific, large-scale projects for bio-based building
blocks with concrete plans for
the production of bio-based
polymers have been announced to date.

With leading chemical corporations, Europe has a particular strength and great potential in the fields of high-value
fine chemicals and building

No dedicated EU policies to
promote bio-based polymers
The European Union's
relatively weak position in
the production of bio-based

Fig. 3: Bioplastics production capacity 2011 (by type) (source : Euro-pean Bioplastics; Hochschule Hanovre, IfBB - Institut für Biokunststoffe und Bioverbundwerkstoffe)

Tab. 1: Bio-based polymers - European producers and production capacities (tonnes per annum)

Bio-based
polymers

Producing companies Production capacities Production capacities
in 2013**
in 2011* (t/a)
in 2013** (t/a)

Production capacities
in 2020** (t/a)

PLA

7

8,220

8,230

226,730

Starch blends

7

217,000

279,000

539,000

PHA

7

50

10,050

10,090

PA

7

16,000

16,000

31,000

PBAT

1

74,000

74,000

74,000

Polyolefins: PE, PP,
PVS, EPDM

0

0

0

n.a.

PET

0

0

0

3000,000

PBT

1

0

<50

80,000

PUR

3

39,450

39,450

39,450

354,720

426,780

1,300,270

Total

*Source: Report market study on Bio-based polymers in the world, 2013-3
**Source: Bio-based polymers producer database, 2013-07

No84 October 2013 /

polymers is largely the consequence of an unfavourable
political framework (Figure
3). There is no European
policy framework to support
bio-based polymers, whereas
biofuels receive strong and
on-going support during
commercial production (quotas, tax incentives, green electricity regulations and market
introduction programmes,
etc.). Without comparable
support, bio-based chemicals and polymers will suffer
further from underinvestment
by the private sector. Indeed,
it is currently much more
attractive and safe to invest in
bio-based polymers in Asia,
South America and North
America.
Nova-Institute's full 360-page
report contains three main
parts - market data, six trend
reports and 114 company
profiles - and can be ordered
for €6,500 plus VAT. This
also includes one-year access
to the "Bio-based Polymers
Producer Database". n
More information:
www.nova-institut.eu
www.bio-based.eu

jec composites magazine 21
http://www.nova-institut.eu http://www.bio-based.eu
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #84 - October 2013

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