Anellotech y Suntory refuerzan su alianza para el desarrollo y comercialización de botellas de bio-PET

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Tipo de entrada: NOTICIA BREVE.

Anellotech es una empresa que desarrolla tecnologías sostenibles cuyo enfoque está en la producción de bio-aromáticos. Este mes, ha hecho dos importantes anuncios relacionados con su proceso Bio-TCat, el cual tiene por objetivo producir aromáticos (benzeno, tolueno y xilenos, “BTX”) a costes competitivos a partir de biomasa para su uso en la fabricación de plásticos (poliéster, nylon, policarbonato, poliestireno) o para combustibles renovables para transporte.

Por un lado, Anellotech anunciaba que la empresa japonesa Suntory Holdings Limited, uno de los líderes a nivel mundial en el sector de las bebidas, ha invertido una cantidad adicional de 9 M$ en su tecnología Bio-TCat (véase nota de prensa, 18/01/2018). Este último tramo, que es parte de un nuevo paquete de 15 M$ supeditado a la consecución de hitos específicos por parte de Anellotech, eleva la inversión total de Suntory en la empresa de productos químicos renovables a los 25 M$ hasta la fecha. Esta alianza comenzó en 2012 con el propósito de facilitar el desarrollo y la comercialización de plásticos 100% renovables para uso en aplicaciones de embotellado. Actualmente, Suntory usa un 30% de materiales derivados de biomasa para su marca de agua mineral Suntory Tennensui y está intentado conseguir una botella 100% renovable de PET a través de esta alianza.

Figura 1. Planta piloto TCat-8 pilot (extraída de la página web de Anellotech)

Por otro lado, la empresa informaba de la finalización del comisionado de su planta piloto de 25 metros de altura (TCat-8) y el comienzo de una programa crítico de desarrollo para validar la viabilidad económica del proceso y obtener los datos necesarios para el diseño de plantas comerciales (véase nota de prensa, 4/1/2018). La planta piloto fue diseñada de manera conjunta por Anellotech e IFPEN y está localizada en Silsbee (Texas, USA) en unas instalaciones de South Hampton Resources (SHR). El proceso usará un novedoso catalizador que han desarrollado de manera conjunta Anellotech y Johnson Matthey. El programa servirá para generar muestras de bio-BTX para su uso en la fabricación de PET para los envases de Suntory y otros polímeros como ABS, policarbonato y poliuretano para otros inversores estratégicos. El diseño de la planta comercial Bio-TCat™ y los trámites de licencia serán llevados a cabo por Axens.

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