Pliith Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

PLIITH Biotechnology Co., Ltd. was established in May 2021 as a joint venture with the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is built on that institute's polylactic acid industrialisation technology. Its site is at No. 68 Jishan Road, Gao'an Street, Sanshan Economic Development Zone, Wuhu City, Anhui Province.

The company covers the full chain from biomass through lactic acid and lactide to polylactic acid. High-purity lactic acid is both a saleable product and the feedstock for its polymer line. Total planned investment is 8.6 billion yuan across 1,800 mu, with a planned PLA capacity of 350,000 tonnes. The first phase, a smart factory for 75,000 tonnes a year of lactic acid and 50,000 tonnes a year of PLA, began construction in Wuhu in 2021 and has been undergoing on-load testing and commissioning.

Technical work has covered dehydration, oligomerisation, cracking, distillation, polymerisation and degassing, and the company has built a pilot line and completed standards compliance testing and industry certification for its PLA materials. The research team is led by Academician Chen Xuesi of the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. Downstream grades include PLA resins for biaxially oriented and cast film, and the company also supplies a gypsum-based interior wall plaster material.