ABB to automate sustainable bioplastics plant in Thailand

ABB has been awarded a major contract by NatureWorks, the world’s leading manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA), a low-carbon bioplastic made from renewable agricultural resources, to automate their new, greenfield plant in Thailand, converting sugar cane to the polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer, Ingeo.

The new plant in Thailand will ferment and distil plant-based sugars, converting the sugars first to lactic acid, then lactide and then polymerise them into Ingeo. In the new site, these three separate production processes will be fully integrated, resulting in significant improvements in energy and production efficiency. In addition, the integration of the fermentation phase will secure the supply of lactic acid. The Thailand facility will use sugarcane as feedstock and is set to produce 75,000 tons of sustainable plastic per year when fully operational. The anticipated projected start-up for this greenfield facility is in the second half of 2024.

ABB’s scope of work is a two-part order including a front end engineering design study followed by detailed automation project execution, with ABB acting as the main automation contractor. ABB will deliver the hardware, software, control room design solutions, engineering, and site support to fully develop NatureWorks’ greenfield system. ABB’s distributed control system Ability System 800xA will maximise plant efficiency and reliability through automation.

Leveraging this technology, ABB will integrate inputs from all key systems into one single user-friendly overview. As a result, operators will be able to utilize data insights from all areas of the plant, delivered in real time, to drive efficiency, reduce risk and ensure production optimisation.