The two partners plan to build a world-class PLA polymerisation plant with a capacity of 75,000 tonnes per year at Corbion’s site in Thailand that already has a lactide (PLA monomer) production unit that will become part of the joint venture.
Corbion will supply the lactic acid necessary for the production of the PLA and the lactide.
The new company will be based in the Netherlands and will launch operations in the first quarter of 2017, subject to regulatory approvals.
PLA is a bio-based, biodegradable polymer obtained by fermenting renewable resources (sugar or starch) to produce lactic acid.
PLA is mainly used for food packaging, disposable tableware and textiles, as well as in numerous other industries such as oil and gas, electronics, automotive and 3D printing.

STIEBEL ELTRON EYES ISAAN

Stiebel Eltron, a Thai manufacturer of water heaters, water filters and hand dryers, says it is stepping up marketing efforts in the Northeast.
Outside of Bangkok, the Northeast market has shown continuous growth over the past few years, which provides great confidence in investing in the region, it says.
“We have been very encouraged by our growth across the country, and the Northeast region is very important for Stiebel Eltron. We are focusing efforts on supporting this growth by improving our network of marketing and sales channels throughout the nation,” said Roland Hoehn, managing director of Stiebel Eltron Asia.
The company is also developing its product line to meet the needs of new Thai consumers and has recently introduced several new products at its Ayutthaya plant.

LOYALTY REWARD APP LAUNCHED

UTU, a cross-border loyalty and rewards platform based in Singapore, has chosen Thailand for the first launch of its mobile-phone application, with a projected roll-out to include other Asian countries and the UK, Europe and the US anticipated next year.
The mobile app is available on both iOS and Android operating systems.
The UTU mobile app lets members decide where and when they can earn, redeem, convert and accumulate loyalty points at home or abroad in real time. Earning points at a fashion boutique and redeeming them at a cafe is just one of the many ways members can benefit from UTU.
UTU members can combine loyalty points from different credit and debit cards and choose where to redeem their UTU Thai or Traveler Points as cash back.