AECI AND ORIGIN MATERIALS ANNOUNCE TWO NEW PROJECTS FOR “A BETTER WORLD”
AECI and Origin Materials have expanded their existing joint development agreement to develop low-carbon materials based on renewable chemistry. AECI has been a strategic investor in Origin Materials, the world’s leading carbon-negative materials company, since 2017.
The new projects involve AECI SANS Fibers, a global player in engineered thread for high-performance apparel and automotive applications, and AECI Much Asphalt, southern Africa’s largest commercial asphalt producer for customers in the road infrastructure sector. Together, the projects will help AECI achieve its new strategy and vision of “a better world”, aligned with its recently published sustainability targets that include reducing the company’s carbon footprint by 2025.
The partnership with AECI SANS Fibers, which is based in the US, aims to develop, industrialise and manufacture advanced materials built on Origin Materials’ carbon-negative technology platform. This platform turns inexpensive, sustainable wood residues into carbon-negative materials and is also expected to provide stable pricing largely de-coupled from the crude oil supply chain, which is exposed to more volatility than supply chains based on sustainable wood residues.
The partnership includes an agreement to buy carbon-negative PET and next-generation polymers to be used in a wide array of end products including clothing, footwear and automotive sewing thread applications. This is expected to enhance AECI SANS Fibers’ contribution to economic growth and increase sustainability on the North American continent as a whole.
For AECI Much Asphalt, based in South Africa, the partnership with Origin Materials is the next step on its sustainability journey in terms of reducing its own footprint and that of its customers. The company has already re-engineered its manufacturing process to include up to 40% of reclaimed asphalt in the final product. Since 2012, this more circular process has avoided the impact associated with mining more than 1 million tonnes of aggregate and refining 53 500 tonnes of asphalt. Recycling has been so successful that the South Africa’s road authorities have included it in some tenders as a requirement.
The asphalt component of AECI Much Asphalt’s hot mixes accounts for a significant portion of the carbon footprint of the overall product. Because the asphalt is derived from petroleum processing, the development of a low-carbon alternative based on the Origin Materials platform is expected to substantially reduce the products’ overall carbon footprint.
Commenting on the extended partnerships Mark Dytor, AECI Chief Executive, said: “We expect that the two projects will ultimately result in a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions. Our strategy to 2025 has sustainability at its core and the partnership with Origin Materials is totally aligned with this. It exemplifies our commitment to enabling “a better world” through our products and services.”
“AECI and Origin Materials are both committed to innovative, sustainable solutions for bringing the globe to net zero as quickly as possible,” said Origin Materials co-CEO Rich Riley. “We expect that this partnership can result in a significant reduction in carbon emissions and will play a key role in Origin Materials’ mission to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials.”