BioBTX ready to take steps towards the building of its first commercial plant

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Type of post: NEWS.

BioBTX is in a position to take significant steps in its ambition to build a commercial plant to produce platform chemicals from waste plastics with a full circular and sustainable process. BioBTX is an innovative technology provider for the conversion of plastic wastes and biomass into aromatics (Benzene, Toluene and Xylenes), essential chemicals for the manufacturing of high-value specialty products. The use of waste plastic or non-food biomass results in significant CO2 reductions, avoids incineration or landfill, and replaces the use of oil as raw material.
Press release: “BioBTX – investments to realize commercialization ambitions”, 14/1/2020.
Related posts:
- “BioBTX to start the scaling-up of its technology with a new pilot plant”, 5/7/2018.
- “BioBTX and Teijin Aramid to jointly develop biobased aramid fibers”, 17/11/2018.

Figure 1. BioBTX is ready to take steps towards commercialization (extracted from the press release in Dutch, photographer: Corné Sparidaens)

BioBTX was started by regional entrepreneurs (KNN and Syncom) with technical and scientific contributions from Groningen University (RUG). The company has its facilities for the production of sustainable platform chemicals in Groningen (the Netherlands). The company has developed the Integrated Cascading Catalytic Pyrolysis (ICCP) process. The integration of two steps allows high flexibility in feedstock and process conditions. The technology has been proven on lab and pilot scale with a number of patents and further IP under development. A production unit for liquid biomass with a 10 kg/h capacity has been operational since September 2018 with proven performance. An additional unit for solid biomass as well as plastics and composites was installed in 2019 to demonstrate full circularity options with the ICCP technology.

The first commercial production facility of BioBTX is planned to be built in 2023. In December 2019, a Series B investment round was completed. The Series C investment round for building the plant will commence in 2020. Three existing (Carduso Capital, Vries Beheer and Lynnovation) and two new investors (Groeifonds of the Economic Board Groningen and NOM) have decided to finance the next steps.

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