Wood, a consulting and engineering group, has been selected by Japanese plastic manufacturer Kuraray for a $40m engineering design contract to establish a new sustainable packaging production facility in Singapore.  

The plant will produce Kuraray's EVAL, an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer that is a recyclable material used in food packaging to extend shelf life by preventing oxygen spoilage. 

This project follows Wood's successful front-end engineering and design (FEED) study and will now progress to engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) services.  

The new facility will be situated on Jurong Island, where Wood will also enhance an existing polyvinyl alcohol plant to optimise the production and recovery of acetic acid, essential for the new EVAL plant. 

Wood Process & Chemicals president Giuseppe Zuccaro said: "Wood is committed to supporting the energy transition, and building a circular economy is a fundamental part of this process. This project will not only reduce food waste but increase the life of more sustainable plastics, ensuring materials are in use longer, reducing their environmental impact. 

“We are delighted to be awarded the EPCM phase of this project. The expertise and dedication of the team has ensured the successful completion of the FEED study, giving us a solid foundation to seamlessly move through to execution.” 

As part of the contract, Wood will offer its global expertise in large industrial and complex engineering projects. 

The contract will be delivered by the company’s teams from Thailand and Singapore. 

Kuraray's director and managing executive officer Tomoyuki Watanabe said: "Based on the successful FEED phase collaboration between Wood and Kuraray, we have decided to award Wood for their involvement in the EPC stage of the next expansion of global EVAL production capacity."