HELSINKI (dpa-AFX) - International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) Thursday announced the formation of a joint venture, Alpha Bio, with Finnish chemical industries group Kemira Oyj (KMRSF.PK), for the production, on a commercial scale, of renewable biobased materials.
This joint venture is being established with an investment of approximately 130 million euros.
The Alpha Bio facility is expected to start production in late 2027, converting up to 44,000 MT of plant sugars to bioproducts, like high-performance biopolymers to be used in different applications, like home and personal care and industrial solutions. The new facility will make use of IFF's Designed Enzymatic Biomaterial or DEB platform technology, which is integrated at the IFF biorefinery in Kotka, Finland.
Operating as an independent entity in Kotka, the joint venture is expected to produce a specialized line of products utilizing DEB technology, exclusively for IFF and Kemira. The setting up of the Alpha Bio facility is anticipated to create around 30 direct jobs in the Kotka region, with further job opportunities expected during the project's construction phase.
Commenting on the joint venture, Antti Salminen, CEO, Kemira Oyj, said, 'Since 2020, we've been collaborating with IFF using the DEB platform technology, which has allowed us to bring sustainable innovation to our key markets. The new joint venture will build on this initial success, enabling us to scale up production and provide new performance-competitive alternatives to fossil-based products in key markets, including paper and board packaging, paper coatings, and water treatment, while continuing to develop opportunities across other growth markets.'
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