Danimer Scientific Completes Debottlenecking of Kentucky Facility to Upscale Production of Biodegradable Materials
Optimized processes and equipment will enable output of 20 million pounds of finished product annually to meet global demand for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)
June 24, 2021
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. & WINCHESTER, Ky. --Danimer Scientific (NYSE: DNMR), a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable materials, today announced the successful completion of debottlenecking initiatives within its Winchester, Ky., manufacturing facility. The achievement positions the company to accelerate production of Nodax®, its signature polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), towards its expectation of reaching 100% of the facility’s current annual run rate capacity of 20 million pounds of Nodax®- based resins by the end of 2021.
“As expected, we have completed our debottlenecking initiatives on time, which will enable us to significantly scale up production from previous levels,” said Danimer Scientific CEO Stephen Croskrey. “After taking steps to optimize our processes and equipment, the facility was brought back online in late May, and we used early June to confirm that both fermentation and downstream processing of our material is running at the projected levels, which are higher than before these initiatives. We look forward to delivering the high volumes of PHA our partners and customers need to create products that will help reduce the environmental impacts of plastics waste.”
Unlike petrochemical-based plastics, Nodax® is a PHA produced through natural fermentation processes using plant oil from crops such as canola. The material is certified to degrade in a variety of environments at the end of its lifecycle, including industrial composting facilities, backyard compost units, and soil and marine environments. It can be used in a wide range of applications from drinking straws and flexible packaging to disposable cups and cutlery.
“With our Winchester facility primed to reach the height of its current capacity, we can further focus on expanding the facility over the next year,” said Danimer Scientific COO Michael Smith. “As previously noted, the second phase of our construction process is ongoing, and we continue to expect the expansion to come online in the second quarter of 2022. We look forward to continuing our work to deliver sustainable solutions for the world’s plastic waste crisis.”
For more information on Danimer Scientific, please visit: www.DanimerScientific.com.
About Danimer Scientific
Danimer Scientific is a pioneer in creating more sustainable, more natural ways to make plastic products. For more than a decade, the company’s renewable and sustainable biopolymers have helped create plastic products that are biodegradable and compostable. They return to nature instead of polluting the environment. Danimer Scientific’s technology can be found in a vast array of plastic end products that people use every day. Applications for Danimer Scientific’s biopolymers include additives, aqueous coatings, fibers, filaments, films, hot-melt adhesives, and injection-molded articles, among others. The company now holds more than 150 granted patents and pending patent applications in more than 20 countries for a range of manufacturing processes and biopolymer formulations. For more information, visit www.DanimerScientific.com.
Forward‐Looking Statements
Please note that in this press release we may use words such as “appears,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “future,” and similar expressions which constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are made based on our expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks and uncertainties. We caution that forward-looking statements are not guarantees and that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results of operations or financial condition of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, the overall level of consumer demand on our products; general economic conditions and other factors affecting consumer confidence, preferences, and behavior; disruption and volatility in the global currency, capital, and credit markets; the financial strength of the Company's customers; the Company's ability to implement its business strategy, including, but not limited to, its ability to expand its production facilities and plants to meet customer demand for its products and the timing thereof; risks relating to the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to the Company; the ability of the Company to execute and integrate acquisitions; changes in governmental regulation, legislation or public opinion relating to our products; the Company’s exposure to product liability or product warranty claims and other loss contingencies; disruptions and other impacts to the Company’s business, as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic and government actions and restrictive measures implemented in response; stability of the Company’s manufacturing facilities and suppliers, as well as consumer demand for our products, in light of disease epidemics and health-related concerns such as the COVID-19 global pandemic; the impact that global climate change trends may have on the Company and its suppliers and customers; the Company's ability to protect patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights; any breaches of, or interruptions in, our information systems; the ability of our information technology systems or information security systems to operate effectively, including as a result of security breaches, viruses, hackers, malware, natural disasters, vendor business interruptions or other causes; our ability to properly maintain, protect, repair or upgrade our information technology systems or information security systems, or problems with our transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems; the impact of adverse publicity about the Company and/or its brands, including without limitation, through social media or in connection with brand damaging events and/or public perception; fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials and contracted products as well as foreign currency fluctuations; our ability to utilize potential net operating loss carryforwards; and changes in tax laws and liabilities, tariffs, legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to the Company as of the date of this press release, and speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
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