€7.5 million grant from National Programme Groningen confirmed

AMSTERDAM, 7 December 2020, 10:00 CET – Avantium N.V, a leading technology company
in renewable chemistry, announces that the National Programme Groningen has
confirmed the award to the company of a €7.5 million grant to support the construction
of a 5 kilotonnes FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) flagship plant, to be built in Delfzijl, The
Netherlands. This grant is part of a €30 million financing mix that Avantium and the
Groningen consortium* agreed upon in January 2020 and which has been previously
announced.
The National Programme Groningen – a partnership between the Dutch national government, the
Province of Groningen and ten municipalities – is investing in projects that contribute to the future
and prosperity of Groningen, focussing on economic development, the quality of the living
environment, energy transition and sustainability. This morning, the board of the National
Programme Groningen confirmed the award to Avantium of a €7.5 million grant to support the
construction of its FDCA flagship plant, designating it as an “icon project” for the region. FDCA is the
key building block for PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a plant-based, fully recyclable plastic material
with a combination of environmental and performance benefits. The FDCA flagship plant is planned
to start up in 2023 and will provide around 60 jobs in the region.
Avantium CEO Tom van Aken says: “We are pleased with the support of the National Programme
Groningen for the construction of our first commercial plant. With the Northern region, we share the
ambition to achieve a fully sustainable chemical industry.”
Avantium and the Groningen consortium already entered into an agreement earlier this year relating
to the conditional financing mix of €30 million for the construction of the FDCA flagship plant. The
€7.5 million grant by National Programme Groningen is part of this financing mix. Avantium and the
Groningen consortium will make further announcements on the details concerning the remaining
€22.5 million when appropriate.