Avantium N.V., a leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, is pleased to announce the successful start-up of the sugar dehydration (SDH) unit and all auxiliary systems and utilities at its FDCA Flagship Plant in Delfzijl. This achievement marks a key technical achievement in the phased commissioning and start-up of the world’s first commercial facility dedicated to the production of FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), a key building block for the 100% plant-based and recyclable polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate), branded as releaf®. Avantium now expects to begin commercial sales under its existing offtake agreements in the first quarter of 2026.
The FDCA Flagship Plant, located at Chemie Park Delfzijl, is the first of its kind and is designed to produce up to 5 kilotonnes of FDCA per year. Construction was completed in October 2024, and Avantium has been gradually commissioning and starting up different parts of the facility.
The SDH unit is the largest part of the plant and plays a crucial role by converting plant sugars into methoxymethyl furfural (MMF), an important intermediate in the FDCA production process. MMF is now successfully being produced in the SDH unit. The successful start-up of the SDH follows the FDCA Flagship Plant’s utility and auxiliary systems, such as the tank farm and steam systems, which were put into operation earlier this year.
With the SDH unit now operational, the next steps include the finalization of commissioning and sequential start-up of the remaining units that handle oxidation and purification. Avantium has identified quality issues in the piping and certain electrical components. These will be repaired or replaced to ensure a safe and reliable start-up of the remaining units.
The FDCA produced at the FDCA Flagship Plant will be polymerized by tolling partner Selenis, using biobased mono-ethylene glycol (MEG), to create PEF. Following performance testing and regulatory validation for food contact applications, Avantium now expects to begin commercial sales under existing offtake agreements in the first quarter of 2026, with plans to reach full production capacity within 24 months.
“This milestone is a tremendous accomplishment for the team and a major step forward on our path to commercializing FDCA and PEF,” said Bram Hoffer, Chief Operations Officer at Avantium. Jeroen Vogelzang, Flagship Plant Manager, added: “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together, including our unwavering commitment to safety as the start-up process continues. Thie successful start-up is a major demonstration of the scalability of our YXY technology.”