Avantium and Danone sign development partnership for Next Generation bio-based plastic: PEF

Today Avantium announced its second major partnership for its YXY technology to produce PEF bottles. Danone Research and Avantium have entered into a Joint Development Agreement for the development of PEF bottles for Danone, number two worldwide in bottled water business. The agreement forms another cornerstone of Avantium's commercialization strategy to further co-develop the YXY technology for producing PEF bottles.

"The agreement with Danone Research is a fantastic step forward on our path to commercialize PEF bottles" says Avantium's CEO Tom van Aken. Today, Danone Research is at the forefront in contributing to the development of next generation bio-based plastic bottle. Our YXY solution for the packaging industry creates a new bio-sourced material delivering superior functional properties versus conventional PET technology (for example light weighting potential, barrier and thermal properties). We believe that the process economics and carbon footprint of PEF make it a suitable PET alternative. A recent study done by the Copernicus Institute at Utrecht University, showed that PEF has a 50-60% lower carbon footprint than oil-based PET. Finalizing the LCA study is part of the Joint Development Agreement. Avantium is currently validating the use of existing supply and recycling chains, enabling a full transition to bio-based PEF bottles in three to five years from now.

"Based on the YXY technology, the Avantium and Danone Research joint objective is to contribute to the emergence of a new renewable material generation which will not be in direct competition with food. YXY is used as a fast and efficient chemical-catalytic technology to convert carbohydrates produced from plants, grains, energy crops, lignocellulosic matter, waste streams, waste paper or agricultural residues, into a wide variety of bio-based polymers. Based on ongoing R&D programs, Avantium will also continue to develop PEF from renewable feedstock not competing with food.

Avantium has recently opened its pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands, with the capacity of producing 40 tons of PEF for application development. The collaborations with Danone and The Coca-Cola Company are key to secure a smooth transition into the mass production phase of PEF bottles. Avantium is in active discussion with other leading brand owners to develop PEF bottles, fibers and film. In the longer term Avantium will license its YXY technology to enable large scale, world-wide production and use of its bio-sourced plastic materials.

About Danone

Danone is one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world. Its mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.The group, whose products are sold on five continents, has more than 180 production plants and around 100,000 employees. In 2011, Danone generated sales of €19 billion, of which more than half were in emerging markets. The group holds top positions in healthy food through four businesses: Fresh Dairy Products, Baby Nutrition, Bottled Water, and Medical Nutrition. Listed on Euronext Paris, Danone is a component stock of leading social responsibility indexes including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, ASPI Eurozone and the Ethibel Sustainability Index.

About Avantium

Avantium is a leading technology company specialized in the area of advanced high-throughput R&D. The company develops and commercializes YXY - its brand name for chemical building blocks for making green materials with superior product properties at a competitive price. Combined with the significant reduction in carbon footprint, Avantium's lead application PEF, fulfills key criteria to become the next generation biobased plastics for bottles, film and fibers. Avantium has demonstrated the value and commercial potential of its unique technology by collaborating with leading companies in the energy and chemical industries. It has a proven track record in offering fast and efficient chemical catalytic development services and systems to market leaders such as BP, Shell and Sasol. Avantium offices and headquarters are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

About YXY

Avantium has developed YXY (pronounced as icksy) - a family of bio-based building blocks for making materials and fuels that can compete on both price and performance with oil-based alternatives which have a superior carbon footprint. YXY is a patented technology that converts biomass into Furanics building blocks, such as FDCA (2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid). FDCA is the monomer that can be used for the production of the polyester PEF (Poly-ethylene-furanoate). YXY has the potential to become the perfect solution for today's challenges, using carbohydrates as feedstock to enable the manufacture of green and sustainable products. This fast and cost-effective production process is based on Avantium's catalytic technology. YXY can be implemented in existing chemical production assets. Avantium is collaborating with leading companies in the industry to develop and produce bio-based materials and fuels based on YXY building blocks. See www.yxy.com for more information.