Afyren will create a biorefinery in Thailand – Le Journal des Entreprises

The Clermont-based greentech company Afyren, which offers biosourced and low-carbon products to manufacturers as an alternative to oil, has just announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Thai sugar producer Mitr Phol with a view to setting up a biorefinery in Thailand. For Afyren, which started up its first biosourced organic acid plant in France in September, on the Chemesis platform in Carling Saint-Avoldthis is the first international expansion project.

Asia, a strategic choice

“This project is a major step in the development of Afyren. With this second plant project, we are organizing our establishment in a strategic region in the heart of Asia to best serve our customers, explains Nicolas Sordet. By joining in Mitr Phol, Afyren secures long-term access to a sustainable raw material from the local sugar cane industry,” continues Afyren’s Managing Director.

Located near Bangkok, close to Mitr Phol’s activities, the future plant will use Mitr Phol’s sugar cane co-products, which will be used to manufacture biomolecules used in the human and animal nutrition, cosmetics , aromas and fragrances or in fine chemicals. This plant will benefit from the growth of the Thai market on these markets but will above all allow the Clermont greentech to have a real platform to export to the entire Asian market. Market which represents 25% of the world market for carboxylic acids.

Joint venture with Mitr Phol

Driven by a joint venture 70% owned by Afyren and 30% by Mitr Phol, the future plant is aiming for a production capacity of around 28,000 tonnes per year representing an annual turnover of around 60 million euros. at full capacity, in line with the announced objectives during Afyren’s IPO in October 2021“, says a press release.

The start of production of this plant, which will generate “the creation of 80 direct jobs and 280 indirect jobs to ensure production”, is expected for 2025. The timetable will be specified at the end of the engineering studies planned for the second half of 2023. .