Dutch consortium to build a pilot plant to produce PHBV from biowastes

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Type of post: NEWS. 

Five water boards (Brabantse Delta, De Dommel, Hollandse Delta, Scheldestromen and Wetterskip Fryslân), STOWA (Foundation for Applied Water Research), Paques (technology company focused on biological wastewater and gas treatment) and HVC (sustainable waste and energy company) have signed an agreement to build a pilot plant in Dordrecht (Netherlands) for the production of PHBV, a biodegradable and sustainable bioplastic. 

Figure 1. The cooperation partners from left to right: Theo Schots (Brabantse Delta), Leo Stehouwer (Hollandse Delta), Gert van Kralingen (Scheldestromen), Paul Koemans (De Dommel) (replaced Jan Verhoeven), Otto van der Galiën (Wetterkip Fryslân), Stephan Bocken (Paques), Joost Buntsma (STOWA), Ronald Hopman (HVC). They are standing above the active bacteria of the wastewater treatment, which will produce the bioplastic. The production unit will be located at HVC's sludge processing plant in Dordrecht, visible in the background. Photographer: Rob Kamminga. 

Background 
During the PHARIO (PHA from RIOolwater) pilot project, the five water boards made PHBV from organic waste streams (sewage sludge, industrial wastewater and food waste). Wastewater contains volatile fatty acids (VFA) and the sludge contains bacteria. Those bacteria process VFA to produce and storage PHBV. The material is extracted as a powder that can be used in various applications. 

The new plant 
In the new large scale production unit, the experience from the PHARIO project will be combined with the knowledge of Paques. Together with Delft University of Technology, Paques has been developing a technology to also produce PHBV from industrial wastewater. The production unit will be located at HVC's sludge processing plant in Dordrecht. It is expected to open at the end of 2021. In the meantime, a further inventory is being made of potential suppliers of fatty acids (the raw material for making PHBV) and organizations are being sought for other applications of PHBV. The unit in Dordrecht will supply sufficient material for testing the processing and use of PHBV. 

PHVB (poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid)-co-poly(3-hydroxyvaleric acid)) 
PHBV is a biobased polyester, biodegradable under natural conditions in soil and composting plants as well as in fresh and salt water. It can be used in agriculture and horticulture (for instance, biodegradable plant pots), amongst other things. As a result, it is no longer necessary to repot young plants during cultivation as the pot is naturally broken down. Another example is the application of PHBV in self-healing concrete for structures such a as basements and tunnels. By adding it, cracks in the concrete are automatically closed again. An additional advantage is that in self-healing concrete often less steel reinforcement can be used, which in its turn contributes to cost reduction and lower environmental impact.

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