BBI JU 2014 call – Granted Projects

An important event for Europe’s bioeconomy took place last week. The BBI JU 2015 call for proposals was formally announced in Brussels at an info day on June 26. €200 million to attract projects that will build new value chains between sectors like agro-food, chemicals and energy. €200 million to go on releasing the potential of the bioeconomy in Europe.

This announcement come days after the BBI JU had signed the 10 grant agreements of the BBI JU 2014 call. This first round included support for the development of biorefining technologies to sustainably transform renewable natural resources into bio-based products, materials and fuels. The call resulted in the submission of 38 proposals, of which 10 received grants. The total BBI JU contribution for these 10 projects is almost € 50 million with an additional industry contribution of over € 70 million. Next, the first information about these new projects available in CORDIS is compiled and summarized.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACTIONS (RIAs)

Seven grant agreements have been signed for Research and Innovation projects. Research and innovation actions are industry-driven and aim at filling the gaps in technological innovations at particular points of a value chain.

1. US4GREENCHEM

Title: Combined Ultrasonic and Enzyme treatment of Lignocellulosic Feedstock as Substrate for Sugar Based Biotechnological Applications

Total cost: € 3,803,925 / EU contribution: € 3,457,602.5

Objective and key points

US4GREENCHEM aims to design a biorefinery concept for the complete valorization of lignocellulosic biomass that is energy and cost efficient and based solely on green technologies. The concept combines mechanical pretreatment of the substrate with the aid of ultrasound to overcome its recalcitrance and disrupt inhibitors with mild CO₂ hemicellulose degradation and with the enzymatic recovery of sugars and technologies for the valorization of the byproducts released in the process.

Coordinator: Verein zur Foerderung des Technologietransfers an der Hochschule Bremerhaven EV (Germany).

Participants: Universita degli Studi di Torino (Italy), Weber Ultrasonics GmbH (Germany), Enviromental Systems GmbH (Germany), Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy (Finland),  UAB Biocentras (Lithuania), Latvijas Vasts Kimijas Instituts (Latvia), Feyecon Development & Implementation BV (Netherlands), Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Spain), Jowat AG (Germany).

2. PROVIDES

Title: PROcesses for Value added fibres by Innovative Deep Eutectic Solvents

Total cost: € 2,175,093.5 / EU contribution: € 1,079,551

Objective and key points

The main objective of the PROVIDES project is to develop a new, sustainable and techno-economically feasible pulping technology for wood and agro-based lignocellulose raw materials based on deep eutectic solvents (DES), a new class of natural solvents which have the ability to dissolve and thus mildly fractionate lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose at low temperature and atmospheric pressure for further processing into high added value materials and chemicals.

Coordinator: Stichting Public Private Partnership Institute for Sustainable Process Technology (Netherlands).

Participants: Sappi Netherlands Services BV (Netherlands), Van Houtum BV (Netherlands), Voith Paper GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Holmen Aktiebolag (Sweden), Metsa Fibre Oy (Finland), Omya Intenational AG (Switzerland), Parenco BV (Netherlands), Portucel SA (Portugal), Smurfit Kappa Nederland BV (Netherlands), Stora Enso Oyj (Finland), UPM-Kymmene Oyj (Finland), Centre Technique del Industrie des Papiers, Carton et Celluloses (France), Crown Van Gelder NV (Netherlands), DS Smith Packaging Netherlands BV (Netherlands), Buckman Laboratories NV (Belgium), Technische University Eindhoven (Netherlands), Mondi AG (Austria), Zellstoff Poels AG (Austria), Mayr-Melnhof Eerbeek BV (Netherlands), Eksa Graphic Board BV (Netherlands), Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy (Finland).

3. SmartLi

Title: Smart Technologies for the Conversion of Industrial Lignins into Sustainable Materials

Total cost:  € 2,407,461.25 / EU contribution: € 1,481,257.5

Objective and key points

SmartLi aims at developing technologies for using technical lignins as raw materials for biomaterials and demonstrating their industrial feasibility. The technical lignins included in the study are kraft lignins, lignosulphonates and bleaching effluents, representing all types of abundant lignin sources. Pretreatments will be developed to reduce their sulphur content and odour and provide constant quality. PU, PF and epoxy resins will be among the target products. Full LCA, including a dynamic process, will support the study.

Coordinator: Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster FIBIC Oy (Finland).

Participants: Tecnaro Gesellschaft zur Industriellen Anwendung Nachwachsender Rohstoffe GmbH (Germany), AEP Polymers SRL (Italy), Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung EV (Germany), Vlaamse Instelling Voor Tecnologisch Onderzoek NV (Belgium), Metsa Fibre Oy (Finland), Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy (Finland), Sappi Netherlands Services BV (Netherlands), FORESA Industrias Químicas del Noroeste SA (Spain), Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH (Austria), Prefere Resins Finland Oy (Finland), Kotkamills Oy (Finland), Andritz Oy (Finland).

4. GreenLight

Title: Cost effective lignin-based carbon fibres for innovative light-weight applications

Total cost:  € 2,600,087.5 / EU contribution: € 1,299,163

Objective and key points

The overall objectives are to demonstrate a new biobased, renewable and economically viable carbon fibre (CF) precursor – lignin – produced in Europe with European raw material and to develop conditions for its processing into CF and structural CF composites. The target is a cost-effective biobased CF for use in reinforced composites delivering sufficient enough strength properties for large-volume automotive applications.

Coordinator: Innventia ABS (Sweden).

Participants: Swerea Sicomp (Sweden), Sodra Skogsagarna Ekonomisk Forenings (Sweden), Faserinstitut Bremen EV (Germany), Saechsisches Textilforschungsinstitut EV (Germany), Fourne Machinenbau GmbH (Germany), Centro Ricerche FIAT SCpA, Blatraden AB (Sweden), Netcomposites Limited (United Kingdom).

5. CARBOSURF

Title: New processes for the fermentative production of glycolipid biosurfactants and sialylated carbohydrates

Total cost:  € 5,961,742.5 / EU contribution: € 2,730,605

Objective and key points

This project aims to develop new processes and solve bottlenecks in the fermentative production of biosurfactants (rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, xylolipids and mannosylerythritol-lipids) and specialty carbohydrates (sialylated oligosaccharides, a class of very complex human milk oligosaccharides). For both product lines, microbial producer strains will be developed through metabolic engineering. The fermentation process and down-stream processing will be developed and optimized in order to obtain an industrial process. Second generation technology based on lignocellulosic substrates will also be developed.

Coordinator: Universiteit Gent (Belgium).

Participants: Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant VZW (Belgium), Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung EV (Germany), Vlaamse Instelling Voor Tecnologisch Onderzoek NV (Belgium), IMD Natural Solutions GmbH (Germany), Compaigne Industrielle de la Matiere Vegetal (France), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), Croda Europe Ltd (United Kingdom), Inbiose NV (Belgium), Carbosynth Limited (United Kingdom), EOC Belgium NV (Belgium).

6. PROMINENT

Title: Protein Mining of Cereal side-streams Exploring Novel Technological Concepts

Total cost:  € 3 103 897,5 / EU contribution: € 1 685 006

Objective and key points

The main aim of PROMINENT is to develop techno-economically and environmentally viable protein-based ingredients and foods from cereal processing side streams. It will concentrate on novel fractionation and extraction technologies, such as bioprocessing, supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂)-extraction, thermo-mechanical technologies, wet and dry fractionation, and expanded bed adsorption as well as their combinations as novel hybrid processing technologies.

Coordinator: Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy (Finland).

Participants: Sudzucker AG (Germany), AB Enzymes GmbH (Germany), Upfront Chromatography AS (Denmark), United Biscuits Limited (United Kingdom), Barilla GeR Fratelli SpA (Italy), Olvi Oy (Finland), Food Companions BV (Netherlands).

7. NewFert

Title: Nutrient recovery from biobased Waste for Fertilizer production

Total cost:  € 2,419,740 / EU contribution: € 1,209,520.5

Objective and key points

Main objective of the proposal is to build up a breakthrough concept of Fertiliser Industry, strengthening European competitiveness and boosting the biobased economy potential, through the development of a new value chain, which will achieve turning solid and liquid residues, specifically ashes of different origins and livestock effluents, into high quality valuable products, a new generation of fertilisers. NewFert will focus on a viable and cost-effective industrial nutrient recycling scheme, developing new biorefining technologies aimed at increasing nutrient recovery ratios and mitigating environmental and socio-economical impact of the current fertilisers by replacing non renewable and fossil nutrients with biobased materials in their composition.

Coordinator: Fertiberia SA (Spain).

Participants: Universidad de León (Spain), Kompentenzzentrum Wasser Berlin Gemeinnutzige GmbH (Germany), Drage & Mate International SL (Spain), Institut National de Recherge en Sciences et Technologies pour l’environnement et l’agriculture (France), Proman Management GmbH (Austria).

DEMO AND FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

Three grants are for demonstration projects aimed at testing technologies.

8. PULP2VALUE (DEMO)

Title: Processing Underutilised Low value sugarbeet Pulp into VALUE added products

Total cost:  € 11,428,347.5 / EU contribution: € 6,589,180

Objective and key points

In order to increase the value of sugar beet pulp (residual stream from the sugar beet industry), PULP2VALUE will develop multiple extraction techniques to isolate more valuable products from this large fraction. Roughly, 65% of the dry matter mass can be isolated as high value products being: microcellulose fibers (MCF) (33%), arabinose (16%) and galacturonic acid (16%). By demonstrating an integrated and cost-effective cascading biorefinery system to refine sugar beet pulp, the proposal aims to significantly increase (20-50 times) the value of the sugar beet pulp by demonstrating applications for approximately 65% of its mass in high value markets.

Coordinator: Koninklijke Cooperative Cosun UA (Netherlands).

Participants: Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoekn (Netherlands), Wageningen University (Netherlands), Oreneo BVBA (Belgium), Nova-Institut fur Politische und Okologische Innovation GmbH (Germany), Biobase Europe Pilot Plant VZW (Belgium), Refresco Gerber Limited (United Kingdom).

9. ValChem (DEMO)

Title: Value added Chemical building blocks and lignin from wood

Total cost:  € 18,502,703.25 / EU contribution: € 13,125,940.15

Objective and key points

ValChem demonstrates the technical and economic viability of sustainable and integrated process from wood to a selected platform chemical and lignin based performance chemicals. ValChem will demonstrate that this process can produce wood-based chemicals that are competitive with identical or similar-in-application products based on fossil raw materials in terms of quality and production cost.

Coordinator: UPM-Kymmene Oyj (Finland).

Participants: Sekab e-technology AB (Sweden), Metabolic Explorer SA (France), Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (Germany).

10. FIRST2RUN (FLAGSHIP)

Title: Flagship demonstration of an integrated biorefinery for dry crops sustainable exploitation towards biobased materials production

Total cost:  € 25,022,688.75/ EU contribution: € 16,995,882

Objective and key points

FIRST2RUN project aims at demonstrating (TRL8) the techno, economical and environmental sustainability at industrial scale of a first-of-kind value chain where low input and underutilized oil crops (i.e. cardoon) grown in arid and/or marginal lands and not in competition with food or feed, are exploited for the extraction of vegetable oils to be further converted through chemical and biotechnological processes into bio-monomers (mainly pelargonic and azelaic acids) and esters that will be applied in the formulation of bioproducts (biolubricants, cosmetics, bioplastics). By and co-products from the process will be valorised both for energy, feed for animals and added value chemicals productions in order to increase the sustainability of the value chain. 

Coordinator: Novamont SpA (Italy).

Participants: Matrica SpA (Italy), Soliqz BV (Netherlands), SIP Limited (United Kingdom), Biophil Central Europe SRO (Slovakia), Alma Mater Studiorum – Univerita di Bologna (Italy).