The investment will scale up manufacturing of bio-based, medical-grade and circular co-polyesters, positioning the company to respond to tightening European packaging legislation and rising demand for lower-carbon materials across multiple sectors.
The move comes as the EU pushes ahead with new packaging rules requiring all packaging placed on the market to be recyclable by 2030, alongside minimum recycled content targets and stricter traceability requirements.
Selenis said the expansion will enable it to increase output of recycled polyester, including chemically recycled post-consumer resin and ISCC+ certified biomass balance solutions that comply with European traceability standards.
Chief executive Duarte Gil described the project as a strategic response to regulatory and market shifts.
“This expansion is a bold step forward. We are doubling our capacity to meet accelerating demand while ensuring we remain fully aligned with the evolving European regulatory framework. Circularity is no longer just a concept; it is our industrial reality,” he said.
A central element of the upgrade is the installation of a continuous polymerization (CP) line to complement the site’s existing batch production system.
The company expects the CP technology to streamline operations, improve process consistency and significantly reduce energy intensity per tonne produced.
Selenis added that the transition will support greater electrification at the facility, cutting reliance on natural gas. Most of the site’s electricity demand will be met through an on-site solar park, aligning the expansion with broader decarbonization objectives.
Chief operating officer Carlos Paiva said the technological shift is designed to ensure growth does not come at the expense of climate targets.
He noted that continuous polymerization and electrification would materially lower the plant’s carbon footprint, particularly when combined with renewable energy integration.
The additional capacity is expected to serve customers in food packaging, healthcare and textiles, where brand owners and manufacturers are seeking recyclable and bio-based polymer alternatives that meet stringent safety and performance standards.
The expansion builds on Selenis’ recent innovation partnerships. In 2024, the company collaborated with UPM Biochemicals and Bormioli Pharma to develop partially wood-based PET bottles for pharmaceutical applications.
The bottles incorporate UPM’s carbon-negative BioMEG and are produced using Selenis’ partial BioPET resins, demonstrating the growing role of renewable feedstocks in high-performance packaging solutions.
With regulatory pressure mounting and demand for traceable, circular polymers increasing, Selenis’ Portalegre expansion signals a broader shift within Europe’s polyester value chain toward scalable, low-carbon production models.
