Avantium N.V.

Environmental & Social Information • Dec 12, 2022

Avantium and Monosuisse sign offtake agreement on PEF for industrial fibres

AMSTERDAM, 12 December 2022, 07:00 hrs CEST – Avantium N.V., a leading technology company in renewable chemistry, and Monosuisse AG, a leading producer of a wide variety of synthetic monofilaments for industrial use, have signed an offtake agreement giving Monosuisse access to PEF (polyethylene furanoate) made from FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) to be produced in Avantium's planned FDCA Flagship Plant. This world's first commercial facility for the manufacture of FDCA from plant-based sugars is currently under construction in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, and Avantium expects to start production in 2024. Monosuisse will purchase PEF for the use in monofilament yarns, which can be used in a broad range of industrial applications.

Avantium's PEF is a 100% plant-based and fully recyclable polymer with a wide range of applications such as packaging, film and textiles. In addition to packaging materials made from PEF, Avantium is increasing its focus on the development of PEF for fibres and yarns.

For many years, Monosuisse has been committed to sustainability in all areas of production. The company focuses on reduction of waste, the use of environmentally friendly raw materials, as well as reducing its carbon footprint. Sustainability is a criterion for the choice of its suppliers. To this end, Monosuisse and Avantium have joined efforts in the development of PEF-based monofilament yarns, which resulted in a positive evaluation of the performance of PEF-based monofilaments. Monosuisse has now signed an offtake agreement and will further develop sustainable and highperformance PEF-based monofilament yarns for commercial introduction when the Flagship Plant is operational.

"We are impressed by the potential and performance of PEF in monofilament yarns. Beyond its sustainable advantages, such as being 100% plant-based and fully recyclable, PEF is spinnable in the existing spinning lines without any hurdle or further investment", states Philipp Kohler, Chief Technology Officer at Monosuisse.

Bas Blom, Managing Director of Avantium Renewable Polymers, comments: "We are very pleased with the offtake agreement from Monosuisse. It shows that PEF has great potential as yarn in various applications. The decision of Monosuisse to use PEF for monofilament yarns means the opening of a new market for our high-quality, plant-based polymer."

About Monosuisse AG

Monosuisse is a worldwide company with 5 production sites, in Emmenbrücke/Switzerland, Gorzow/Poland, Sighisoara/ Romania, Queretaro/Mexico and in Asslar/Germany. We are specialized in the manufacturing of precise, high-quality monofilaments from 19µm to 3.00 mm in diameter. Our production sites combine knowledge producing fine and very fine monofilaments made from different polymers with the experience and the cost-efficient production of coarse diameters. Furthermore, our product portfolio includes fine multifilaments for technical applications.

Exchanging ideas with our customers, in-depth knowledge of the market, and our many years of experience help us to improve our existing products and develop new and innovative products. A total of over 600 worldwide employees produce monofilament yarns for a variety of technical applications including screen printing, filtration, meshes, conveyor belts, spacer fabrics, and paper machine clothing, as well as special applications. Our multifilament yarns are used in manufactured rubber goods (MRG), aeronautics, and in the medical field, as well as in technically demanding applications.

About Avantium

Avantium is a leading technology development company and a frontrunner in renewable chemistry. Avantium develops novel technologies based on renewable carbon sources as an alternative to fossilbased chemicals and plastics. The company currently has three technologies at pilot and demonstration phase. The most advanced technology is the YXY® plant-to-plastics–technology that catalytically converts plant-based sugars into FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), the key building block for the sustainable plastic PEF (polyethylene furanoate). Avantium has successfully demonstrated the YXY® Technology at its pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands, and has started construction of the world's first commercial plant in 2022, with planned large-scale production of PEF in 2024. The second technology is Ray Technology™ which catalytically converts industrial sugars to plant-based MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) and plant-based MPG (mono-propylene glycol): plantMEG™ and plantMPG™. Avantium is scaling up its Ray Technology™ and the demonstration plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands opened in November 2019. The third technology is called the Dawn Technology™ that converts non-food biomass into industrial sugars and lignin in order to help transition the chemicals and materials industries to non-fossil resources. In 2018, Avantium opened the Dawn Technology™ pilot biorefinery in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. Avantium also provides R&D solutions in the field of sustainable chemistry and is the leading provider of advanced catalyst testing technology and services to accelerate catalyst R&D. Avantium works in partnership with like-minded companies around the globe to create revolutionary renewable chemistry solutions from invention to commercial scale.

Avantium's shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels (symbol: AVTX). Avantium is incorporated in the Euronext Amsterdam SmallCap Index (AScX). Its offices and headquarters are in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

For more information:

Media Relations: Caroline van Reedt Dortland, Director Communications +31-20-5860110 / +31-613400179, mediarelations@avantium.com

Investor Relations: Miriam Wijnands, Manager Investor Relations +31-20-5860192 / +31-618467012, ir@avantium.com