GEISMAR, La. (AP) — A sustainable materials company plans to spend at least $750 million to build a biomass manufacturing facility in Louisiana that will turn wood residue into a chemical used in plastic, state officials said Wednesday.
Origin Materials, headquartered in West Sacramento, California, said the project is expected to create 200 new jobs with an annual salary of $99,100, plus benefits. The facility will be located at the 150-acre (61-hectare) Parks Geismar site in Ascension Parish, Louisiana Economic Development said.
The plant will use sustainable wood residue to produce plant-based polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. The compound is primarily used in packaging, textiles and apparel. The plant is also expected to produce hydrothermal carbon, which can be used in fuel pellets.
Gov. John Bel Edwards welcomed the company’s plans for a new facility in the state.
“Their unique process of developing PET products from renewable wood fibers is yet another example of how the global shift toward sustainability can be a catalyst for economic investment and job creation in our state,” Edwards said. “The company’s carbon-negative mission aligns with our Climate Action Plan’s approach to limiting the severity of climate change while maintaining economic competitiveness in a low-carbon future.”
Construction is slated to…
