Apr 20, 2018   SOURCE: BusinessWire

BAP Announces Purchase Agreement with EcoPlanet Bamboo for Production of Bamboo Sanitary Papers; Announces $60M Nicaraguan Bio-Refinery & Paper Mill – a Global First

BAP Industries of Guatemala is pleased to announce the signing of a 10-year exclusive Bamboo Purchase Agreement with United States based EcoPlanet Bamboo Group for 100% of the off-take from its sustainably grown Nicaraguan bamboo plantations, as part of a strategic alliance with Advance Pulp and Paper Machinery AP&P Machinery of British Columbia, Canada.

Utilizing AP&P technology, BAP will invest in the construction and operation of the world’s first bamboo bio-refinery and associated paper mill, which is to be co-located in Nicaragua within proximity of the bamboo raw resource. This initial facility will have the capacity to process up to 250,000 metric tons of bamboo annually, into a range of 100% bamboo toilet, tissue and cleaning papers.

BAP & AP&P innovative pulping technology is zero waste, closed loop, chlorine free, and utilizes only 30% of the energy and water of a traditional wood chip pulp mill. Combined with EcoPlanet Bamboo’s tree-free, deforestation-free bamboo fiber, which has contributed to reforestation efforts in one of the most deforested parts of the planet, this strategic alliance is a triple-win scenario for conscious minded consumers across North and Latin America.

“The Bamboo Purchase Agreement with EcoPlanet, and the announcement of a $60M Nicaraguan facility with BAP is just the first step of a multi-faceted strategic alliance aimed at turning the toilet paper industry from a negative global footprint into something positive” says Mark Nash, CEO of AP&P Machinery. Mario Salan, CEO of BAP adds that this facility is the first of a trio of such bamboo industrial developments to be announced in the coming months.

EcoPlanet Bamboo has been committed to developing closed loop, clean bio-refineries, to ensure that end products are as clean, sustainable and environmentally positive as the bamboo fiber itself. “The Bamboo Purchase Agreement with BAP, and larger partnership into a state of the art manufacturing facility in Nicaragua fulfills a major goal we set out to achieve seven years ago. Most importantly it will provide hundreds of much needed jobs in Nicaragua, reward all those who have contributed towards achieving our triple bottom line vision, and provide the final piece in the building of a global bamboo resource base as a viable and market driven solution to deforestation” says CEO Troy Wiseman.

About BAP Industries: BAP Industries was developed as a partnership between a team of Guatemalan engineers and bamboo experts, and Canada based Advance Pulp & Paper Machinery, in order to develop a next generation pulp and associated paper and textile products; combining tree-free, deforestation-free bamboo with the world’s first bamboo based bio-refinery.

About EcoPlanet Bamboo: EcoPlanet Bamboo is the global leader in the development of sustainable bamboo plantations as a viable alternative resource for wood and fiber industries globally. The company owns and operates more than 4,000 hectares of bamboo plantations in Nicaragua and South Africa.