Hyosung TNC has begun supplying bio-based chemicals from its new $1 billion facility in Vietnam. The company calls it the world’s first fully integrated commercial-scale bio-BDO production system.
The South Korean manufacturer is best known as the world’s largest spandex producer. It built the plant in Ho Chi Minh City’s Phu My II Industrial Park. The facility converts sugarcane into 1,4-Butanediol (Bio-BDO), a chemical building block used across plastics, textiles, and specialty materials.
Bio-BDO is chemically identical to conventional fossil-derived BDO. Manufacturers can swap it directly into existing production lines. No retooling needed. Performance stays the same.
The molecule appears in polyurethane systems, engineering plastics, biodegradable packaging, and hygiene products. Hyosung says its Vietnam operation brings a certified bio-based version to market at meaningful industrial scale for the first time.
The facility starts with 50,000 tonnes annual capacity. Infrastructure is ready to scale up to 200,000 tonnes as demand grows. Unlike traditional BDO made from coal or petroleum, Hyosung uses fermentation technology from US partner Geno. The process converts sugars directly into the chemical.
Sugarcane offers advantages over corn starch or wood pulp. The single-step fermentation pathway proves more efficient. All sugarcane comes from Brazil under the VIVE Sustainable Supply Programme.
The facility holds International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus. It also has SGS certification for 70% bio-based content. Hyosung is pursuing USDA Bio Preferred status, targeted for Q3 2026.
For manufacturers facing tighter regulations on bio-based content and carbon footprints, the certified supply chain offers clear compliance benefits. European regulations are particularly driving demand.
Hyosung plans to extend the platform beyond Bio-BDO to Bio-PTMG and eventually bio-based spandex. Chairman Hyun-Joon Cho says the bio business will become a core pillar for the next century.
Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, the company’s marketing and sustainability director, emphasized full supply chain control. “We’re managing the chemistry from the sugar stage through to the finished material.”
