Avantium Partners with Sojitz Pla-Net to Drive Adoption of releaf® in the Japanese Market
The partnership comes as Avantium advances its FDCA platform towards commercial production, while building customer and value-chain relationships for PEF in Japan.
The Dutch technology company has partnered with Japanese plastics trading company Sojitz Pla-Net to drive adoption of its plant-based FDCA and PEF materials under the releaf® brand in Japan.
The partnership will focus on market development and customer engagement with Japanese brand owners, converters, packaging producers and other value-chain partners. The companies will also explore opportunities through Sojitz's international network.
From technology development to commercialisation
The partnership comes as Avantium moves closer to commercial production of FDCA, the plant-based building block used to produce PEF (polyethylene furanoate).
Avantium’s YXY® technology converts plant-based sugars into FDCA, the building block for PEF. PEF offers significantly higher barrier performance than PET, with Avantium reporting around 10 times better oxygen barrier and 15 times better CO₂ barrier properties. Its higher mechanical strength can also enable lightweight packaging, while the improved barrier performance can help extend the shelf life of packaged food and beverages.
The company's commercialisation programme is now progressing beyond technology development.
Avantium's FDCA Flagship Plant in Delfzijl is now moving towards its first commercial production, with sales to existing offtake customers targeted for the end of 2026. The company has also secured 22 long-term offtake agreements for material from the plant, alongside 15 capacity reservations covering more than 150,000 tonnes of future FDCA and PEF production from licensed facilities.
The purification unit at the Delfzijl plant was commissioned earlier this month, marking another step towards commercial production.
Building the market for PEF
The partnership gives Avantium a local partner to develop customer and value-chain relationships in Japan as the company moves its FDCA and PEF platform towards commercialisation.
Sojitz Pla-Net, part of Japanese trading group Sojitz, operates across the plastics and packaging value chain, serving sectors including packaging, consumer goods, mobility and electronics. Its role will include market development and engagement with Japanese brand owners, converters, packaging producers and other potential partners.
Japan also provides an established regulatory basis for FDCA-based polymers in food-contact applications. Its Positive List system for food-contact plastics was fully implemented in June 2025, with FDCA included as an approved monomer.
The partnership is part of Avantium's broader efforts to develop the Asian market for FDCA and PEF. In 2024, the company partnered with SCGC in Thailand on market studies, brand-owner engagement and application development. While the latest agreement is focused initially on Japan, Avantium and Sojitz Pla-Net will also explore opportunities through Sojitz's international network.
The companies will jointly participate in Sustainable Material Expo 2026 in Chiba from 30 September to 2 October, where they will showcase PEF applications and meet potential customers and partners.
The next phase for PEF will be determined not only by Avantium's ability to produce FDCA at commercial scale, but how quickly the wider packaging value chain begins to adopt the material.
Source: Avantium
