CJ HDC biosol has officially opened its new new South Korean bioplastic compounding plant in Jincheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, the company has announced. CJ HDC biosol, formed in February 2022, is a joint venture between CJ CheilJedang and HDC Hyundai EP, South Korea’s largest plastic compounding manufacturer. Established with the goal of creating an eco-friendly material compounding business, to which end biosol will collaborate with CJ Biomaterials, Inc., a division of CJ CheilJedang, the new facility spans some 40,000 square feet and has an annual production capacity of 11,000 tons of bio-based compounds.
The focus will be on developing sustainable solutions using a variety of biopolymers, such as CJ Biomaterials’ amorphous PHA, cellulose, polylactic acid (PLA) and others.
The new plant will allow CJ CheilJedang to expand its business area to include a wider range of eco-friendly materials beyond just its PHA technology, thus introducing a new growth engine for the company. The venture will help HDC Hyundai EP to further consolidate its position as South Korea’s leading compounding business.
“We are committed to devoting resources to support biosol and the goals of the joint venture to become a leading eco-friendly material solutions company by providing our differentiated PHA material to combine with the cutting-edge compounding capabilities of HDC Hyundai EP,” said CJ CheilJedang CEO Choi Eun Seok at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
CJ Bio is the leading producer of amorphous PHA, which is a softer, more rubbery version of PHA that offers fundamentally different performance characteristics than crystalline or semi-crystalline forms of PHA and is a very good modifier for other bioplastics.
According to Chung Joong Kyu, CEO of biosol, while focussing on the development of differentiated eco-friendly materials, the venture is committed to ‘moving forward as a ‘Global Green Product Hub’ to help establish a plastic circular economy’.