Environmental Impact Assessment Approval for the Pilot Production Project in Guangzhou to Produce 1,000 Tons of Bio-based Polyester Elastomers per Year
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The pilot-scale production project for kiloton-level bio-based polyester elastomers led by Academician Zhang Liqun has been approved. On April 2, 2025, the Administrative Approval Bureau of Guangzhou Development Zone issued its approval regarding the environmental impact assessment report for the pilot-scale production project aimed at manufacturing 1,000 tons of bio-based polyester elastomers per year at the Huangpu Green Advanced Materials Technology Institute; it was approved that the project be carried out at address No. 132, Tangcun Education Second Road, Longhu Sub-district, Huangpu District, Guangzhou. It is reported that the total investment for this project is approximately 150 million yuan, with a total land area of 757.75 m². The construction period is 10 months, and the project mainly involves the pilot-scale development of three types of polyester elastomers (referred to as BPE), namely polyester elastomer BPE1, polyester elastomer BPE2, and polyester elastomer BPE3. The designed annual production capacity for these pilot-scale developments is 1,000 tons. Elastomeric materials have been widely used in various fields such as national defense and civilian applications due to their unique high elasticity. In order to endow elastomeric materials with both sustainability and biodegradability, Academician Zhang Liqun first proposed the concept of \"bio-based degradable polyester elastomers\" in 2008. Unlike elastomers with all-carbon backbones obtained through addition polymerization, bio-based polyester elastomers are produced via solvent-free condensation polymerization reactions of bio-based diols, dibasic acids, and/or hydroxyacids derived from a range of biomass fermentations. The abundant intrachain lactone bonds formed by condensation polymerization endow polyester elastomer materials with unique biodegradability. Academician Zhang Liqun and his team have been committed to advancing the development of downstream applications and industrial production of biodegradable bio-based polyester elastomers. In terms of application development, the team has successfully explored the use of biodegradable bio-based polyester elastomers in areas such as low-temperature and oil-resistant adhesives, polylactic acid tougheners, polyvinyl chloride plasticizers, biodegradable tires, and biodegradable shoes. In terms of industrialization, the team has successfully achieved a technological transition for polyester elastomer products from the laboratory stage to pilot-scale production and then to full-scale production, and in 2021 they established a continuous production process capable of handling thousand-ton quantities for the first time. In the same year, the technology for degradable bio-based polyester elastomers passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. In 2021, bio-based biodegradable polyester elastomers were also included in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s ‘Guidance Catalogue for the Pilot Application of Key New Materials’.
Project Name: Pilot-scale production project for 1,000 tons per year of bio-based polyester elastomers at Huangpu Institute of Green Advanced Materials Technology
Owner of the Project: Huangpu Institute of Green Advanced Materials Technology
Nature of the Project: New construction
Location: The project will be carried out in a factory building with 2 basement floors and 8 above-ground floors, constructed by Guangdong Dongfang Zongheng Testing Co., Ltd. (address: No. 132, Tangcun Education Second Road, Longhu Street, Huangpu District, Guangzhou). The project will be located on the southwest part of the 1st to 4th floors of this building.
Area: The total land area is 757.75 m², while the total construction area is 3,031 m².
Total Investment: The total investment for this project is approximately 150 million yuan, of which 1.45 million yuan is allocated to environmental protection measures, accounting for 0.97% of the total investment.
Construction Period: 10 months
Scale and Scope of the Project: The main objective is to conduct pilot-scale research and development on three types of polyester elastomers (referred to as BPE), namely polyester elastomer BPE1, polyester elastomer BPE2, and polyester elastomer BPE3. The designed annual production capacity for these elastomers is 1,000 tons.
Huangpu Institute of Green Advanced Materials Technology is a new research and development institution established in 2023 through a partnership between the Management Committee of Guangzhou High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and South China University of Technology. The research institute has initially decided to introduce two projects developed by Academician Zhang Liqun’s team. The first project involves using a new type of bio-based, biodegradable polyester elastomer that was developed in China and meets the requirements of the \"dual carbon\" strategy as well as key environmental protection needs; this material will be used to establish the world’s first pilot production line for polyester elastomers. At the same time, efforts will be made to develop the processing and application methods for polyester elastomers, thereby creating a complete industrial chain that spans from polymerization to the production of finished products ； Secondly, in industries with significant demands for **\"strategic\" technologies**, testing and development platforms for advanced process lithography materials are being established. These include lithography machines using ArF laser light sources along with the associated peripheral equipment, as well as ultra-clean rooms and material development laboratories, all of which provide a solid foundation for the research, development, and testing of advanced lithography materials.
Owner of the Project: Huangpu Institute of Green Advanced Materials Technology
Nature of the Project: New construction
Location: The project will be carried out in a factory building with 2 basement floors and 8 above-ground floors, constructed by Guangdong Dongfang Zongheng Testing Co., Ltd. (address: No. 132, Tangcun Education Second Road, Longhu Street, Huangpu District, Guangzhou). The project will be located on the southwest part of the 1st to 4th floors of this building.
Area: The total land area is 757.75 m², while the total construction area is 3,031 m².
Total Investment: The total investment for this project is approximately 150 million yuan, of which 1.45 million yuan is allocated to environmental protection measures, accounting for 0.97% of the total investment.
Construction Period: 10 months
Scale and Scope of the Project: The main objective is to conduct pilot-scale research and development on three types of polyester elastomers (referred to as BPE), namely polyester elastomer BPE1, polyester elastomer BPE2, and polyester elastomer BPE3. The designed annual production capacity for these elastomers is 1,000 tons.
Huangpu Institute of Green Advanced Materials Technology is a new research and development institution established in 2023 through a partnership between the Management Committee of Guangzhou High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and South China University of Technology. The research institute has initially decided to introduce two projects developed by Academician Zhang Liqun’s team. The first project involves using a new type of bio-based, biodegradable polyester elastomer that was developed in China and meets the requirements of the \"dual carbon\" strategy as well as key environmental protection needs; this material will be used to establish the world’s first pilot production line for polyester elastomers. At the same time, efforts will be made to develop the processing and application methods for polyester elastomers, thereby creating a complete industrial chain that spans from polymerization to the production of finished products ； Secondly, in industries with significant demands for **\"strategic\" technologies**, testing and development platforms for advanced process lithography materials are being established. These include lithography machines using ArF laser light sources along with the associated peripheral equipment, as well as ultra-clean rooms and material development laboratories, all of which provide a solid foundation for the research, development, and testing of advanced lithography materials.
Due to their unique high elasticity, elastomeric materials are widely used in various fields such as national defense and civilian applications, generating an annual output value of over one trillion yuan. However, the traditional synthetic elastomer industry is facing the dual challenges of an energy crisis and environmental pollution. Traditional synthetic elastomers rely heavily on fossil resources, which makes the development of the elastomer industry unsustainable. At the same time, since traditional elastomers are not biodegradable, the corresponding discarded elastomer products and the wear debris generated during use cannot be degraded either, which poses a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health. In order to endow elastomeric materials with both sustainability and biodegradability, Academician Zhang Liqun first proposed the concept of \"bio-based degradable polyester elastomers\" in 2008. Unlike elastomers with all-carbon backbones obtained through addition polymerization, bio-based polyester elastomers are produced via solvent-free condensation polymerization reactions of bio-based diols, dibasic acids, and/or hydroxyacids derived from a range of biomass fermentations. The abundant intrachain lactone bonds formed by condensation polymerization endow polyester elastomer materials with unique biodegradability. Academician Zhang Liqun and his team have been committed to advancing the development of downstream applications and industrial production of biodegradable bio-based polyester elastomers. In terms of application development, the team has successfully explored the use of biodegradable bio-based polyester elastomers in areas such as low-temperature and oil-resistant adhesives, polylactic acid tougheners, polyvinyl chloride plasticizers, biodegradable tires, and biodegradable shoes. In terms of industrialization, the team has successfully achieved a technological transition for polyester elastomer products from the laboratory stage to pilot-scale production and then to full-scale production, and in 2021 they established a continuous production process capable of handling thousand-ton quantities for the first time. In the same year, the technology for degradable bio-based polyester elastomers passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. In 2021, bio-based biodegradable polyester elastomers were also included in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s ‘Guidance Catalogue for the Pilot Application of Key New Materials’. Bio-based degradable polyester elastomers are a new type of synthetic elastomer developed internationally by the team led by Academician Zhang Liqun. They are currently the only elastomeric materials in the world that possess both \"biological origin\" and \"degradability,\" enabling a full life-cycle cycle for these elastomers from nature to nature. They also provide a viable strategy for achieving green and sustainable development in the elastomer industry, as well as for addressing the issue of elastomer debris pollution at its root.
In 2021, bio-based biodegradable polyester elastomers were also included in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s ‘Guidance Catalogue for the Pilot Application of Key New Materials’.