Origin Materials, a leading carbon negative materials company, and Solvay, a global leader in chemicals and materials, have joined hands to develop and industrialise advanced materials built on the Origin Materials carbon-negative technology platform for the automotive industry. The two believe the newly developed materials will be in high demand.

In addition, Solvay has also signed a multi-year capacity reservation agreement for carbon negative materials produced by Origin Materials to create a drop-in ready specialty polyamide, a polymer for internal combustion engine technology as well as e-mobility systems like e-motors and power electronics that can provide resistance to heat, toughness, corrosion, and operate at high voltages.

The companies believe the newly developed and industrialised materials will be in high demand from the automotive industry as it undertakes a massive global effort to decarbonise its supply chains in search of the “zero carbon” car. Solvay and Origin Materials aim to provide the automotive industry with drop-in ready materials solutions to enable the industry’s low-carbon transition.

The companies will work to rapidly develop and industrialise new products based on Origin Materials’ technology platform, leveraging Solvay’s leadership position as a provider of expertise and resources across global supply chains.

Origin Materials believes its patented technology platform, which turns inexpensive, sustainable wood residues into carbon-negative materials, will help to revolutionise the production of a wide range of end products, including clothing, textiles, plastics, packaging, car parts, tires, carpeting, and toys.

In addition, Origin Materials’ technology platform is expected to provide stable pricing largely decoupled from the petroleum supply chain, which is exposed to more volatility than supply chains based on sustainable wood residues.

“We are thrilled that Solvay is becoming an Origin Materials Platform Partner,” said Origin Materials co-CEO Rich Riley. “The automotive industry is undertaking a massive transition to net zero. But electrification alone won’t be enough to get there. Without low-carbon and carbon negative solutions for materials, it simply isn’t possible to manufacture a zero-carbon car. By working together, Solvay and Origin Materials will help turn the automotive industry’s net zero ambitions into reality for countless brands. This collaboration is a significant step forward in our mission to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials.”

“The cooperation with Origin Materials is a new important element in our continuous commitment to sustainability which, together with our customers, is at the heart of our operations and growth strategy,” said Mike Finelli, president of Solvay Specialty Polymers. “Today carbon negative-materials can be added to the evolution of our sustainability roadmap, which already includes different actions from the integrated use of renewables to generate electricity in our plants to pursuing more sustainable products with bio-sourced monomers or recycled content.”