LG

LG Chem announced on the 4th that it mass-produced the world’s first ‘Bio-balanced’ SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer) that received ISCC Plus international certification and shipped its first exports.
 
Bio-balanced SAP refers to SAP  attributed to renewable raw materials such as waste and residue oils and fats it is a product that received ISCC Plus certification from ISCC, which is one of the most reputable certification authorities in the world for renewable products.
 
Furthermore, it is the first case that applied the eco-friendly integrated brand ‘LETZero’ that LG Chem recently launched.
 
This product, which was shipped from the Yeosu Plant, will be delivered to ‘Baby Life’, a client of LG Chem located in Jordan, and be used for making diapers, etc.
 
The first export of the Bio-balanced SAP was made possible as the interests between LG Chem, which is focusing on carbon-neutral and resource circulation activities as part of its sustainability strategy, and the client, which intends to expand application of eco-friendly materials in hygienic products such as diapers, fit each other.
 
The production of the Bio-balanced SAP takes place in the context of the strategic partnership (MOU) LG Chem entered into last year with Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, and a forerunner as a provider of renewable and circular solutions for the petrochemical industry.
 
This partnership provides the foundation for LG Chem to receive a stable supply of renewable hydrocarbons needed for manufacturing renewable polymer and chemical products, and since July, it began full-fledged production of Bio-balanced SAP.
 
LG Chem is spurring to launch a total of 9 Bio-balanced products that received ISCC Plus certification including SAP such as PO (Polyolefin), ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) within the year, and to pioneer the related markets. The number of ISCC Plus certified products will be expanded to more than 30 within this year.
 
Upon performing a Life Cycle Assessment(LCA), it was determined that LG Chem’s Bio-balanced SAP leads to a significant decrease of 111% in greenhouse gas emissions compared to existing fossil-fuel based products and the assessment has been verified by the Korean Society for Life Cycle Assessment (KSLCA).
 
LCA includes the production process of raw materials, and so in the case of bio materials, greenhouse gas emissions are calculated by also considering carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption by plant.
 
This makes it possible to achieve climate-positive LCA results and thereby allows for a reduction of more than 100%.
 
LG Chem’s strategy is to objectively digitize the carbon mitigation effect per product to enhance customer reliability on bio-balanced products, while actively leading the eco-friendly certified product market.
 
“This is very meaningful in that it is the starting point for a full-fledged shift in the product portfolio toward eco-friendly materials in the petrochemicals business”, says Kug Lae Noh, Executive Vice President and the President of Petrochemicals Company from LG Chem.