Ingeo plant contract secured

Jacobs, headquartered in Pasadena, California, has been awarded the engineering design contract for the next NatureWorks world-scale Ingeo production plant in Southeast Asia.

Jacobs is one of the world’s largest and most diverse providers of technical, professional and construction services with extensive experience in polymer and chemical plant design and construction.

“Jacobs’ front-end engineering design work will include major equipment design and is the next stage of what is a multi-year project that will move into detailed engineering design, procurement, construction and plant start-up,” explained Steve Bray, director of manufacturing and engineering at NatureWorks. These phases may require three years for completion, with Thailand currently targeted as the preferred plant location.

“We’re delighted to continue our partnership with NatureWorks as they expand support to their clients in the Asia Pacific region and increase their global production efforts,” said Jacobs vice president Chris Nagel.

In 2002, NatureWorks became the first company to produce a biopolymer for plastics and nonwovens at world-scale quantity. In 2013, it expanded its flagship Blair facility to an annual total Ingeo capacity of 150,000 metric tons, and located its first Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Bangkok, expanding its team of senior commercial, managerial, and technical personnel to enhance support of Ingeo customers throughout the region.