BIOP AG expands its production of Bioplastics

Dresden based BIOP Biopolymer Technologies AG (www.biopag.de) expands its production capacities. The chemical company will build a new plant in Schwarzheide (Brandenburg, Germany). "Approximately seven million Euros will be invested and 34 new jobs will be created within the next three years", announced CEO, Mr. Frits P.E.A. de Jong. "As of September 2005 we will ramp-up production up to 10.000 tonnes per year", Frits de Jong said yesterday evening after signing the contracts with the BASF Schwarzheide GmbH.

"After BASF decided earlier on this year to also produce Ecoflex® at this site, Schwarzheide became more attractive to us for producing our BIOPAR®-Resins since Ecoflex® is one of our components" explains Frits de Jong. Until now BIOPAR® has been produced in the Netherlands. "By relocating our production to Schwarzheide we will save on transportation costs and have access to professional site management. With BASF there will be a mutual opening of the markets for Bio-plastics. Our investment decision also is a clear signal to our customers and to consumers that Bioplastics will be available in larger quantities and applications and a broader range can be expected."

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BIOP AG produces a resin for making plastics based on renewable resources, mainly potato starch. In cooperation with research and development people of large companies and institutes, films for packaging, carrier bags, waste bags, agricultural applications but also moulded products like flowering pots and plant clips are being developed. Each application can be 100 % biodegradable according to DIN 13432 if required.

Important partners are IPF-Institut für Polymerforschung, Dresden (Germany), A&F of the University of Wageningen (Netherlands) and TNO of the University in Eindhoven (Netherlands) in development of NANO-composites technologies.

"Bioplastics has reached industrial standards but insufficient production capacities is an obstacle to overcome in order to enter mainstream markets" comments Frits de Jong. "Therefore supporters of the Bioplastic idea, like the "NEMO cluster", the European association IBAW based in Berlin and the German IK Industrieverband Kunststoff play an important role in informing the public about this concept."

BIOP Biopolymer Technologies AG, Dresden

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