The Singapore plant an industrial achievement
Construction of the Jurong Island plant in Singapore, announced in 2017, will be completed by mid-2022. With this exemplary industrial project, Arkema has signed the largest investment in its history and has increased the worldwide production capacity of polyamide 11, its fully bio-sourced high-performance polymer, by 50%.
The timetable was ambitious and yet it is on the way to being met despite the pandemic. The Jurong Island integrated bio-refinery in Singapore will produce its first tons of the amino 11 monomer and polyamide 11 in the summer of 2022. The culmination of this highly strategic project for the Group (see following pages), which increases the global availability of its famous bio-sourced polymer by 50% thanks to a next-generation industrial tool, is exemplary for several reasons. “For the first time we are producing amino 11, a monomer from castor oil, and its polymer polyamide 11, on the same site”, notes Erwoan Pezron, Managing Director of the High-Performance Polymers business unit, who has supervised the construction of the plant on the ground.
Industrial integration and synergies
This integration across the value chain of castor chemistry is a major factor in industrial efficiency. It is supported by process innovations on some key steps in monomer synthesis and significant synergies with the Jurong Island industrial platform. “The presence of multiple suppliers and world-renowned chemists on the island ensures direct access to different raw materials”, says Erwoan Pezron. “Likewise, the proximity of Air Liquide has enabled us to successfully integrate steam, the plant’s main source of energy. This is a good example of circular economy because we utilize the waste steam, the by-product of another process, allowing us to significantly reduce the site’s carbon footprint.” The core raw material, castor oil produced for Arkema by farmers in Gujarat in India, will be delivered by boat directly to the factory doors.
