BioRefineries Blog

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Aquafil and Genomatica successfully completed the first demonstration scale production runs for plant-based nylon-6. Press release: " Geno and Aquafil begin pre-commercial production for plant-based nylon-6 ", 20/07/2022. Related post: " Aquafil and Genomatica to build a demo plant to produce 100% renewable nylon-6 ", 20/11/2022. Figure 1. Aquafil and Genomatica begin pre-commercial production of biobased nylon-6 Geno and Aquafil have produced the first several tons of plant-based nylon-6 building block caprolactam, have converted it to nylon-6 polymer, and are now in the process of transforming it for evaluation in nylon applications such as yarns for textile and carpet and engineering plastics as part of pre-commercial quantities from demonstration production taking place in Europe.  The companies have been collaborating to first produce pilot-scale quantities of plant-based nylon-6 and have now advanced to produce pre-commercial quant...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Newlight Technologies and Long Ridge Energy Terminal (jointly owned by a subsidiary of Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC and an affiliate managed by GCM Grosvenor) have entered into various agreements providing for the construction and operation of a new facility in Ohio (Aircarbon-Ohio) to produce PHB, a biomaterial that the company calls Aircarbon. Press release: " Newlight and Long Ridge Sign Agreement to Build Aircarbon Production Facility in Ohio ", 14/07/2022. Figure 1. Aircarbon production facility in Ohio Founded in 2003, Newlight is the first company to directly transform greenhouse gases into PHB at commercial scale. Newlight launched its first commercial-scale Aircarbon production facility in 2020, and today Newlight's customers and partners include Shake Shack, Nike, Target, H&M, Ben & Jerry's, Sumitomo, US Foods, and Sysco, with millions of Aircarbon units delivered to consumers to date.  AirCarb...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Global Bioenergies has received its first order from Shell, to provide volumes of bio-isobutene derivatives for performance assessment. Press release: " Global Bioenergies secures first order from Shell for testing volumes of bio-isobutene derivatives ", 21/06/2022. Related posts: " Global Bioenergies takes a major step towards scaling up its isobutene production process ", 24/05/2021. Global Bioenergies has focused its strategy on the bioproduction of isobutene as this molecule is one of the main building blocks in the world of chemistry. Its derivatives can be used in a wide range of sectors from cosmetics and fine chemicals to commodities and fuels. The global market of isobutene reaches 15 million tons per year. Shell plans to explore the possibility of replacing current hydrocarbon-based isobutene and its derivatives with their equivalents from renewable resources, while maintaining the same level of performance. Global Bioenergies ...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Covestro , South Korean petrochemical company SK geo centric and Neste are cooperating to enable the production of a major polyurethane precursor based on renewable raw materials via mass balance.  Press release: " Covestro, SK geo centric and Neste cooperate to create value chain for renewable attributed MDI in APAC ", 20/06/2022. Figure 1.  First shipment of renewable benzene leaves the Ulsan harbour in South Korea (credits: SK geo centric)   The cooperation will see Neste provide SK geo centric with renewable Neste RE, an ISCC certified feedstock for polymers and chemicals made from 100% renewable raw materials such as waste and residue oil and fats.  SK geo centric will process this feedstock into benzene at the company’s facilities in South Korea and supply it to Covestro to use as raw material for methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) at its site in Shanghai (China). MDI is a key raw material for the manufacture of rigid polyuretha...