The new Origin 2 facility will manufacture carbon-negative materials suitable to produce PET plastic that can be used in packaging and other applications
The new facility will produce carbon-negative materials suitable to produce PET plastic. (Credit: DanaTentis from Pixabay)
Carbon negative materials company Origin Materials has unveiled plans to build a manufacturing facility for sustainable materials in Geismar, Louisiana, US.
The company’s second manufacturing facility, dubbed Origin 2, will produce carbon-negative materials suitable to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic that can be used in packaging, textiles, apparel, and other applications.
Origin 2 will also produce hydrothermal carbon, which is suitable for use in fuel pellets as activated carbon and as a replacement for carbon black.
In a statement, Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards said: “Their unique process of developing PET products from renewable wood fibres is yet another example of how the global shift toward sustainability can be a catalyst for economic investment and job creation in our state.”
Origin’s patented technology platform holds the potential to transform the carbon in sustainable wood residues into useful materials while capturing carbon in the process.
Slated to be operational in mid-2025, the 150-acre facility is expected to create about 500 construction jobs, 200 local full-time positions, and between 500 and 1,000 indirect local jobs.
The company’s new facility is said to have the capacity to convert up to one million dry metric tonnes of wood residues per annum into products suitable for a range of end markets.
Origin Materials co-CEO John Bissell said: “The local talent is world-class across refining, forestry and agronomy, feedstock logistics, and chemicals. The site sits along the Mississippi River with easy access to barge and rail and plentiful local wood residue feedstock.
“The proposed incentive package for building in the area is compelling and the local industrial cluster can provide access to hydrogen, ethylene, water treatment and more.”