Avanti has completed the commissioning of the purification unit at its FDCA plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. With this process now operational, the company has all the main process units of the facility running and is moving towards the production of the first batches of furandicarboxylic acid, Avantium presents the facility as the world’s first commercial-scale plant dedicated to producing FDCA. This renewable compound can be used as a raw material to manufacture polymeric materials and is part of the company’s strategy to develop alternatives based on renewable resources.
Avantium completes the commissioning of the purification unit
Specifically, the implementation of the purification unit this occurs after the activation of the auxiliary systems and the sugar dehydration unit, Avantium had also previously completed the start-up of the oxidation unit.
In this way, the main areas needed to transform raw materials and obtain FDCA have already individually passed this phase, the next step will be to operate the systems in an integrated way and verify their operation as part of the same production chain.
Avantium is now focusing its work on the integrated start-up of the Delfzijl plant, the immediate goal is to obtain the first batches of furandicarboxylic acid and then move forward with the product qualification activities.
Avantium is preparing the first batches of FDCA
Hero de Jager, Avantium’s interim operations director, noted that the completion of the purification unit work allows them to now focus their efforts on the initial production of FDCA, according to the executive, the company’s priorities remain ensuring a safe startup of the facilities and beginning the commercial deliveries planned in existing purchase agreements.
For the remainder of 2026, Avantium plans to focus on four key areas with completing the FDCA plant startup, producing the first batches, finalizing material qualification, and preparing for future commercial sales, the company’s timeline anticipates that the first deliveries under existing commercial agreements could begin by the end of 2026. This timeline is contingent upon the successful completion of the plant startup and FDCA qualification.
The plant will allow the validation of FDCA technology on a commercial scale
Beyond initial production, the commissioning of the Delfzijl plant is relevant to Avantium’s technology strategy, the company expects to use the operation of the facility to validate its FDCA technology under commercial production conditions.
This validation could also serve as a reference for future technology licensing discussions, thus, the plant’s performance will allow for information to be obtained about the process operation on a scale greater than that achieved during the previous stages of development.
The project now enters a phase in which factors such as process stability, product quality, and the progressive increase in production will play a central role.
The full capacity will require a scaling period
Although the main units are already operational, reaching the plant’s nominal capacity will be a gradual process. Avantium maintains its forecast of needing approximately 24 months after startup to increase production to full design capacity.
During this period, the company will need to progressively increase volumes while completing the operational and commercial stages associated with the project, the production of the first batches will therefore be the next benchmark for Avantium’s FDCA plant. Once this stage is completed, attention will shift to product qualification and the start of commercial deliveries planned for the end of 2026.
Source: Hydrocarbon Processing
Photo: Shutterstock
