ABB Group, one of the world's top 500 companies, has signed a major contract with NatureWorks to automate their new green factory in Thailand to convert sugarcane into polylactic acid biopolymer Ingeo. Lactic acid, then lactide, then polymerize them into Ingeo.
In the new factory, the three separate production processes will be fully integrated, resulting in increased energy and production efficiency. Furthermore, the integration of the fermentation stage will ensure the supply of lactic acid. The Thai factory will use sugar cane as a raw material and, when fully operational, will produce 75,000 tonnes of sustainable plastic per year. The expected start-up of the new plant is in the second half of 2024.
ABB's scope of work consists of two parts, including FEED studies and detailed automation project execution, with ABB being the main automation contractor. ABB will provide hardware, software, control room design solutions, engineering and field support to fully develop NatureWorks' greenfield system. ABB's distributed control system capability System 800xA will maximize plant efficiency and reliability through automation. Using this technology, ABB will consolidate all key system inputs into a single user-friendly overview. As a result, operators will be able to leverage real-time data insights from all areas of the plant to increase efficiency, reduce risk and ensure production optimization. The project will apply state-based controls, enabling operators to take fewer interactions to start equipment and reduce risk by accessing the right information at the right time. In addition, ABB's automation engineering batch application tool will be used for the project.