# PHA bioplastics: Production route

Stiff, tough or soft: the PHA family explained

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/routes/

What this tab covers How it is made: the main production routes or, for product families, the main product types and technologies, compared on share of supply, inputs per tonne, plant scale, yield, co-products and unit cost.

PHA is a family. The main commercial types are PHB and PHBV (stiff, crystalline), PHBH (Kaneka's tougher copolymer), mcl-PHA from oils (Danimer's PHA), and amorphous PHA (CJ's aPHA, used as a softener and blend partner). All are made by bacterial fermentation followed by extraction. The main cost drivers are feedstock yield (often only 0.3-0.5 t PHA per t sugar, indicative), fermentation productivity and solvent recovery, which make PHA several times dearer than PLA or PE.

#### Routes compared

| Route | Share of supply | Inputs per tonne | Typical scale | Yield | Co-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Sugar-fed fermentation (scl-PHA and aPHA)** | a large share of current output (indicative) | about 2-3 t sugar per t PHA (indicative) | CJ Pasuruan, Indonesia, about 5 kt/yr (indicative) | about 0.3-0.5 t per t sugar (indicative) | cell biomass | several $/kg (indicative) |
| **Plant-oil-fed fermentation (PHBH, mcl-PHA)** | significant (indicative) | about 1-1.5 t oil per t PHA (indicative) | Kaneka Japan and Danimer Kentucky and Georgia plants of tens of kt/yr (indicative) | about 0.6-0.8 t per t oil (indicative) | cell biomass | soybean oil at $912-1,781/t (Feb 2024 to May 2026, World Bank via soybeans tile) makes feedstock alone about $1-2/kg |
| **Waste and gas-fed PHA (waste oils, methane, mixed cultures)** | small | waste carbon | pilot to small commercial | not published | not published | not published |
| **Compounding and blends** | most sold grades are compounds (indicative) | not applicable | compounders such as Teknor Apex (now owner of Danimer) | not applicable | none | dilutes PHA cost |

#### How each route works
**Sugar-fed fermentation (scl-PHA and aPHA)**

Engineered bacteria ferment glucose or sucrose and accumulate PHA granules; CJ Biomaterials makes semi-crystalline and amorphous PHA.

Simple feed; low yield.
 Plastics Today 2025; indicative **Plant-oil-fed fermentation (PHBH, mcl-PHA)**

Bacteria fed vegetable oils such as canola produce PHA with higher yield per tonne of feed than sugar; used by Kaneka and formerly Danimer (indicative).

Higher yield; dearer feed.
 indicative; rapeseed tile **Waste and gas-fed PHA (waste oils, methane, mixed cultures)**

Mixed microbial cultures on wastewater or engineered strains on methane make PHA from low-cost carbon (Newlight AirCarbon, indicative).

Cheap feed; variable quality.
 indicative **Compounding and blends**

PHA is blended with PLA, PBAT or fillers to balance cost, toughness and degradation.

Practical; lowers bio content.
 Elevenflo 2026; indicative Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs move with feedstock and energy prices, plant size and region.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/correlation/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/pha/links/index.md)