The ORLEN Group is launching Poland’s first installation using microorganisms in an industrial-scale production process. The installation developed in Trzebinia will convert plant-based raw materials into ecological lactic acid. Lactic acid is generally used in the chemical, food, pharmaceutical industries and in agriculture. In the pilot phase, the installation will produce 5 tons of lactic acid a year, whereas the target yield, which is 5 000 tons a year, will be enough to cover the country’s entire demand for this product.
- We are aware of the growing importance of new technologies in building competitive advantage on the refinery-petrochemical market. This is why we are investing in clean, innovative solutions to expand our portfolio to include modern, environmentally friendly products. The installation we are building in Trzebinia is part of the global trend involving the recycling and reuse of organic waste. It is also the next step in building advanced biotechnological competences in our company, ORLEN Południe - says Daniel Obajtek, the President of the Management Board of PKN ORLEN.
The global production of lactic acid is estimated for 520 thousand tons a year. Lactic acid has not been manufactured in Poland yet, and its shortage throughout the Central-Eastern Europe region forced its recipients to import it from Asia and Western Europe.
The investment in Trzebinia will be completed by the end of this year. The appointed contractor is AB Industry. The cost of building a lactic acid production installation will be approximately 7.5 million PLN, whereas the total cost will be nearly 10 million PLN. In 2017, ORLEN Południe received 2.38 million PLN in subsidy under a sector program managed by INNOCHEM, the National Center for Research and Development to implement a project for the “Development of biotechnological conversion of organic raw materials into lactic acid with the use of microorganisms”. The investment will strengthen the position of ORLEN Południe on the domestic market of bioproducts, as well as an employer in the region, facilitating the growth of employment in the company.
The technology applied in Trzebinia uses microorganisms to process organic raw materials and convert them into a complete product. The installation will be primarily charged with molasses, which is the waste generated in sugar production.
The lactic acid manufactured in Trzebinia will be ecological and fully environmentally-friendly. It is mostly used to manufacture polylactic acid (PLA), which is in turn used to manufacture biodegradable packaging. PLA is also used in the construction industry, in technology and in the automotive industry. Due to its properties, such as transparency, PLA is also used to manufacture photovoltaic cells, as it allows to cut production costs.