Wood has been awarded a $40 million contract by Japanese chemical manufacturer Kuraray to design and build a new sustainable packaging production plant in Singapore.
The facility, to be located on Jurong Island, will produce Kuraray’s EVAL™, an ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer widely used in food packaging.
The project aims to address the growing demand for environmentally friendly food packaging materials.
EVAL™ is a recyclable material that extends the shelf life of food products by preventing oxygen spoilage.
Unlike competing products, it can be recycled using traditional methods without disrupting polyolefin recycling streams.
Following the successful completion of a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study, Wood will now provide engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) services for the new plant.
Additionally, the company will modify an existing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) facility adjacent to the new plant to optimise the production and recovery of acetic acid, a critical component in EVAL™ production.
Giuseppe Zuccaro, President of Process & Chemicals at Wood, emphasised the project’s importance in supporting the energy transition and building a circular economy.
He stated: “This project will not only reduce food waste but increase the life of more sustainable plastics, ensuring materials are in use longer, reducing their environmental impact.”
Tomoyuki Watanabe, Kuraray’s Director and Managing Executive Officer, highlighted the growing demand for EVAL™ in emerging economies and its role in reducing food waste and supporting the transition to a circular economy.
Kuraray has invested $410 million in the development of the Jurong plant, which is expected to have a front-end processing capacity of 36,000 tonnes per year of EVAL resin.
The contract will be executed by Wood’s teams in Thailand and Singapore, leveraging the company’s global expertise in delivering large industrial and complex engineering projects.
The new facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2026.
This project represents a significant step towards more sustainable food packaging solutions, aligning with the growing market demand for environmentally friendly materials in the packaging industry.