Joint venture begins large-scale production of filter material for medical face masks

Dutch PPE Solutions, the joint venture of Royal DSM and VDL Groep, has started the production of virus filtering material for FFP2 and IIR face masks in a newly built factory by DSM in Geleen, the Netherlands. Dutch PPE Solutions is the first to deliver professional face masks with filter material that is made entirely on Dutch soil. With the production of the critical filter layer, meltblown polypropylene, in the Netherlands the joint venture makes Europe less dependent on supplies from overseas. 

Last week's opening of the first production facility of meltblown polypropylene in the Netherlands creates greater resilience to surges in demand for medical face masks and the underlying materials.

The high-quality filter material is made from bio-based feedstock (used cooking oil) and the manufacturing machines run on renewable electricity. Dutch PPE Solutions’ ambition is to produce the most sustainable filter material for FFP2 and IIR face masks.

From idea to sustainable large-scale production in record-time

The meltblown polypropylene manufacturing facility in Geleen was built in record-time. From idea, planning, construction, building and testing to large-scale production took only months — three times faster than regular lead times.

The first face masks from Dutch PPE Solutions were delivered in January 2021, containing filter material from a non-Dutch supplier. As of last week, meltblown polypropylene filter material from Dutch PPE Solutions is also available to other customers in Europe.

DSM and VDL joined forces in September 2020 to meet the urgent need to diversify the global production and supply chains of personal protective equipment (PPE) at scale by reducing dependency on a small number of international sources.

The two companies invested several million euros in manufacturing equipment to produce face masks and in the new manufacturing facility for meltblown polypropylene. The joint venture employs dozens of people in its production locations in Geleen and Helmond, the Netherlands.

Dutch IIR facemask manufacturer MedProtex is Dutch PPE Solutions’ first customer of meltblown polypropylene. Cyrille Depondt, CEO MedProtex says: “To establish a sustainable, transparent and future-proof production chain of PPE, it is crucial to have access to raw materials close to home. The opening of the factory for high-quality critical filter material in Geleen is a testimony to entrepreneurship and a proofpoint for making our Dutch and European infrastructure more resilient for future pandemics.”

Pieter Wolters, Vice President DSM Innovation Business Building and Member of the Dutch PPE Solutions Board: “The initial goal between DSM and VDL was to help when it was most needed and immediate actions were necessary in the fight against COVID-19. We learned during the early months of the pandemic what the risks are of full dependency of overseas suppliers and that a partial capacity of local manufacturing will provide better health and safety for the future.

"We promised we would do something about it and now we deliver. With the Geleen-based meltblown polypropylene production facility and the face mask production lines in Helmond we secured a Western European supply of face masks and critical face mask components. Thereby we provide robust and reliable high-quality PPE to the healthcare workers and the population.”