Maccaferri Group and Bio-on take a step forward to produce bioplastics in Northern Italy

SECI, the holding belonging to the Maccaferri family, launched the bioplastics project to be carried out at the San Quirico production site using the Bio-on technology. The project will be carried out by the company Sebiplast s.r.l., a controlled company of the SECI Group, in the production site where today stands the sugar factory Sadam S.p.A.

The choice of the San Quirico (Parma, North Italy) production site will guarantee the bioplastics project to benefit from synergies and common services with the sugar factory, but without interfering with the latter’s production. During the first part of the year there will be carried out the detailed engineering activities and the purchase of critical equipment as well as the site preparation works and the demolitions necessary to make ready the area on which the PHA plant will be built up. The project is expected to enter into production in approximately 24 months with an initial production capacity of 5,000 tons / year. The design activities, scheduled to start in the coming days, will take into account the possibility to expand the production capacity up to 10,000 tons / year and possible future additions with other industrial activities related to green chemistry which are part of the development and diversification plans of the Group.

The PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) are bioplastics that can replace several conventional polymers currently made with petrochemical processes using hydrocarbons. The PHAs developed by Bio-on – the company claims – guarantee the same thermo-mechanical properties as conventional plastics with the advantage of being 100% naturally biodegradable.

“We are satisfied to continue this important journey – declares Massimo Maccaferri, President of Sadam – with the support of the Region that has released a first tranche of funding for the implementation of the first design phases and will allow us to realize this important innovation with enthusiasm. It is a very positive result also for the growth of our Group in the new green chemistry sector, with an eco-compatible and eco-sustainable approach”.

“We are proud to realize an important production project together with the Maccaferri Group – explains Marco Astorri, President of Bio-on S.p.A. – one of the most important industrial groups in Europe, expanding the development of the promising high-performance biopolymer business developed by Bio-on and the granting of its licenses”.

The two companies, already active in sustainable bio-chemistry and in the industrial development of the Levulinic Acid production with Sadam, will work together to take a further step towards the construction of the platform for the production of the bioplastic of the future.