BioRefineries Blog

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Gevo and LG Chem have entered into a joint development agreement to develop bio-propylene for renewable chemicals using Gevo’s Ethanol-to-Olefins (ETO) technology. Press release: " GEVO ENTERS JOINT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH LG CHEM TO DEVELOP BIO-PROPYLENE ", 12/04/2023. Gevo’s proprietary ETO technology can target carbon neutral or carbon negative drop-in replacements for traditional petroleum-based building blocks called olefins, including bio-propylene, that can be used for renewable chemicals or fuels including sustainable aviation fuel. These plant-based, renewable olefins would be derived from atmospheric CO2 captured through photosynthesis and are expected to deliver the same performance in final products on the market today. Under the terms of the Agreement, Gevo will provide the core enabling technology it has developed for renewable olefins to be produced from low-carbon ethanol and together the parties will collaborate to accelerate t...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. NovoNutrients general carbon capture process upcycles approximately two tons of carbon dioxide for every ton of protein-rich ingredient. By utilizing carbon dioxide and renewable energy through gas fermentation, this biomanufacturing platform offers advantages of cost savings, scalability, and sustainability over conventional production, contributing to a greener future enriched by the vibrant hues of carotenoids. It enables the sale of natural carotenoids at synthetic price levels. Press release: " NovoNutrients to Reshape $2.3B Carotenoids Market with Innovative Carbon Capture Technology ", 27/03/2023 . Carotenoids function as antioxidants and are natural pigments found primarily in plants and marine organisms, creating bright colors, like the orange in carrots or the red in tomatoes. Specific carotenoids offer additional palatability and other benefits to humans, dogs, cats, and fish, contributing to good vision, immune system function, and ove...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Groupe Berkem has announced the completion of the acquisition of Biopress, a French producer of 100% natural vegetable oils and proteins.  With this acquisition, Groupe Berkem is consolidating its offering in the "Health, Beauty & Nutrition" area of expertise and more specifically in the cosmetics market thanks to the virtues of its oils and the nutraceutical market because of the benefits provided by plant proteins. Press release: " Strategic acquisition by Groupe Berkem of Biopress, a French producer of 100% vegetable oils and proteins ", 03/04/2023.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. L'Oréal  has announced a new investment in a venture led by Geno  to create sustainable alternatives to key ingredients in beauty products. L'Oréal will be a founding member of the venture alongside Unilever and Kao. Press release: " BIOTECHNOLOGY VENTURE TO SCALE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANT-BASED INGREDIENTS FOR SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY ", 21/03/2023. The investment, made through L'Oréal's corporate venture fund, BOLD, will support the creation of new, sustainable ingredients derived from living organisms. Through Geno’s biotechnology expertise, L’Oréal will replace traditional ingredients with bio-based alternatives, such as those made from plant-based sugars. These new ingredients will be used across various L’Oréal products, making a significant leap towards the company’s goal of 100% eco-designed formulas and ingredients that are 95%-derived from renewable or abundant sources.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. IKEA is switching from fossil-based to bio-based glues. Today, 5% of the climate footprint of the total IKEA value chain is connected to the use of glue in board materials. With this change, the goal is to reduce fossil-based glue use by 40% and greenhouse gas emissions from glue by 30% by FY30. Press release: " IKEA to use bio-based glue for reduced climate footprint ", 01/03/2023. Finding new glue solutions is one of the main approaches to reducing the IKEA climate footprint, and most glue consumption is used in board production. As a result of innovation and several years of trials, IKEA is now switching to bio-based alternatives to reduce fossil-based glue usage by 40% and the climate footprint from glue by 30%. Switching from fossil-based to bio-based glue solutions will be a stepwise approach, and the goal is to have most board-producing factories in the IKEA supply chain using glues that have lower climate footprints by FY30. In Kazlu Ruda,...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. BASF has begun production of its first biobased polyol, Sovermol®, in Mangalore, India. This product serves the fast-growing demand of eco-friendly products for applications in New Energy Vehicles (NEV), windmills, flooring and protective industrial coatings in Asia Pacific. Utilizing the existing facilities at BASF’s Mangalore site, the Sovermol production facility is now operational after comprehensive planning and construction. Sourced from renewable materials, Sovermol contains zero volatile organic compounds (VOC). Sovermol products are used to produce sustainable coatings and adhesives for various industries, enabling customers to reduce their carbon footprint and to save resources. Press release: " BASF starts Sovermol® production in Mangalore, India ", 09/03/2023.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. OQ Chemicals has launched “OxBalance Isononanoic Acid”, the world’s first commercially available isononanoic acid that is produced from both bio-based and circular feedstocks, and is ISCC PLUS certified.  The new product has a bio-based content of over 70 percent, providing manufacturers with a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional isononanoic acid. To meet the growing demand for carboxylic acids, OQ Chemicals has recently invested in a capacity expansion project in Germany. Isononanoic acid is widely used in the production of various industrial and consumer goods, such as energy-efficient lubricants, plasticizers, and surfactants. The new OxBalance product line uses the mass balance concept to trace renewable feedstocks in chemical production processes and allocate them to products. Press release: " OQ Chemicals Launches World’s First Bio-Based ISCC PLUS Certified Isononanoic Acid ", 07/03/2023.

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. PILI has  announced today 15.8 M $  in Series A funding to accelerate its industrialization by  producing the first tons of high-performance bio-based indigo. Bpifrance led this round  through the fund Ecotechnologies 2, with participation from Famille C Participations and  existing investors, such as Elaia Partners. Press release:" PILI, a French biotech and green chemistry company, raises $15.8M to accelerate  its industrial scale-up and the decarbonization of the color industry . ", 28/02/2023. Related posts: " PILI to industrialize biobased high-performance pigment production ", 12/03/2023. Since its creation in 2015, PILI's mission has been to develop and produce biobased dyes and  pigments to reduce the environmental footprint of the color industry. Thanks to its hybrid  technology combining industrial fermentation and green chemistry, the company offers an  ecological and competitive alternative to petroche...

  Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Zeon Corporation, through its Corporate Venturing subsidiary Zeon Ventures, has invested in Visolis, a US startup, developing an innovative biomanufacturing platform. Zeon will partner closely with Visolis to help accelerate development of the company’s sustainable biomanufacturing processes. Visolis is developing a biomanufacturing platform combining artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and traditional chemical catalysis to efficiently produce a portfolio of carbon negative chemicals. Visolis’s proprietary process transforms sustainable raw materials, including waste biomass, into bio-based chemicals with diverse applications ranging from active ingredients for personal care to drop-in replacements for commodity petrochemicals. To accelerate the transition to a sustainable society, Zeon will work together with Visolis in enabling cost-competitive, bio-based chemicals for a range of applications from cosmetics to cars. Press release: " Zeon Cor...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Avantium and Origin Materials have announced a partnership to accelerate the mass production of FDCA and PEF for use in advanced chemicals and plastics.  Press release: " Avantium and Origin Materials to Accelerate the Mass Production of FDCA and PEF for Advanced Chemicals and Plastics ", 21/02/2023. Related posts: - " Green light to the construction of the first FDCA plant of Avantium ", 13/12/2021. - " Origin Materials announces mechanical completion of its first commercial manufacturing plant ", 10/02/2023. The partnership aims to bring the technology platforms of both companies together in order to produce FDCA from sustainable wood residues on an industrial scale. FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) is the key building block for the biopolymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate) – a 100% plant-based, fully recyclable plastic material, with superior functionality and a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional pla...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. U PM Biochemicals and HAERTOL Chemie GmbH  have announced a development partnership that will accelerate the introduction of renewable, sustainable forest-sourced materials into the automotive market and reduce fossil resource consumption.  Both companies have agreed to form a strategic partnership to produce a new range of carbon neutral engine and battery coolants that will help automotive manufacturers reduce their CO2 footprint. Press release: " UPM Biochemicals and HAERTOL Chemie GmbH announce strategic partnership to develop new sustainable coolants ", 09,02/2023. Figure 1. UPM Biochemicals and HAERTOL will jointly launch a new range of carbon-neutral engine and battery coolants that will help automakers reduce their carbon footprint (taken from the press release) UPM is investing 750 M€ to build the world’s first industry scale biorefinery in Leuna (Germany) to convert sustainably sourced, certified woody biomass into next generation bioch...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Henkel and Shell Chemical LP have agreed to a five-year collaboration to replace up to 200,000 tons of fossil feedstocks used in the manufacture of surfactants with feedstocks that are based on renewable raw materials. The renewable-based surfactants will be used in Henkel’s laundry product brands, including many varieties of Persil®, Purex® and all® brands. Surfactants are an ingredient in cleaning products that help lather and lift dirt. Press release: " Henkel signs agreement with Shell on renewable-based ingredients for Persil®, Purex® and all® brands ", 17/01/2023. Figure 1. Shell Chemical to manufacture renewable surfactants for Henkel Shell estimates that replacing up to 200,000 tons of fossil feedstocks with renewable feedstocks has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 120,000 tons of CO2eq over the length of the five-year agreement.  Starting in 2023, up to 200,000 tons of renewable feedstocks will be used by Shell du...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Montinutra has been granted a Circular Economy Investment Subsidy by Business Finland to build a first-of-a-kind plant to upcycle forest industry side streams. Press release: " 7 M€ funding decision from Business Finland for a plant implementation ", 18/01/2023. Figure 1.  Plant 3D draft / Feasibility study 2022 (taken from the press release) The company  develop new ingredients for future bioeconomy from  hemicellulose and lignin. Its  first ingredients will be launched under the brand Boreal Bioproducts® in personal care consumer products early 2023. This is possible with the production from our current pilot plant in Turku. Montinutra’s business model focuses on using side streams such as sawdust, wood processing residues or bark as feedstock. The production process is based on pressurized hot water extraction without the use of chemical solvents. This enables robust and cost-effective production of natural products with minimal enviro...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Circa Group AS and OQEMA AG have signed a supply and capacity reservation agreement for the sale of Cyrene™ into Europe. The agreement is for the market development and supply of several thousand tonnes of Cyrene™ per annum. This brings reservation commitments for Cyrene™ volumes to over 5,000 tonnes per annum, which will be supplied by Circa’s ReSolute™ plant, and the following FC6 plant, now at planning stage. Press release: " Circa and Oqema partner for multi-year distribution of Cyrene " , 17/01/2023. Related posts: - “ ReSolute project - New BBI JU flagship biorefinery will produce green solvent from wood biomass ”, 05/10/2020. - “ Circa successfully completes 56 M€ IPO that will be used to build its green solvent biorefinery ”, 03/03/2021.

  Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Sinarmas Cepsa Pte Ltd (SCPL) and its parent companies, the chemicals business of CEPSA and agribusiness Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand the production of bio-based chemicals at SCPL’s site in Lubuk Gaung, Indonesia. Press release: " Sinarmas Cepsa Pte. Ltd. signs agreement to expand bio-based chemicals production ", 08/11/2022. Related post: " Sinar Mas Cepsa starts up production at vegetable-based alcohols plant in Indonesia ", 15/09/2017. The site is ideally positioned to serve customers worldwide and the existing facility, which started production in 2017, is fully utilised. SCPL has a strong ambition to grow along the fatty alcohols value chain, with sustainable development at the heart of its strategy and operations. Global demand for fatty acids and natural alcohols is driven by growing demand for home and personal care products, as well as increasing demand for sustainable, bio-b...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Braskem and Sojitz have announced the launch of Sustainea, which will produce and market bioMEG (monoethylene glycol) and bioMPG (monopropylene glycol). The market launch of the brand follows the approval of the joint venture (the process began in March 2022) by antitrust authorities. Press release: " Braskem and Sojitz Corporation launch Sustainea ", 21/10/2022. Related posts:  - " Braskem and Haldor Topsoe to validate new bio-MEG production process in a demo plant ", 13/11/2017. - " Braskem and Haldor Topsoe start production of biobased MEG at their demo plant in Lyngby ", 25/11/2020. Figure 1. Braskem and Sojitz launch Sustainea to produce and market biobased glycols The business plan envisages the construction of three industrial plants, with the first unit slated for operational startup in 2025, taking advantage of market opportunities and feedstock availability. The locations where the industrial units will be built have ...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. AFYREN has inaugurated its first large-scale plant, AFYREN NEOXY, in Carling Saint-Avold (Grand Est, Moselle, France) on the Chemesis industrial platform. I t came online within its deadline and budget. P ress release: " AFYREN inaugurates its first factory, AFYREN NEOXY, a first-of-its-kind biorefinery ", 29/09/2022. Related post: “ AFYREN starts construction of its first biorefinery to produce biobased organic acids ”, 14/12/2020.   Figure 1. AFYREN NEOXY After the start of construction in December 2020, major milestones included obtaining the operating permit, completion of civil engineering work, construction of the plant and the gradual industrial commissioning of its various units. All told, it only took 20 months for AFYREN NEOXY to open its doors, on September 29, 2022. Perfectly operational and secure, the biorefinery has reached production start-up phase in the 2022 calendar year, as announced. AFYREN plans to gradually increase volumes ...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. The first and only pilot line of bio-aromatics from lignin in Europe was officially opened by Biorizon co-initiator VITO. With the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project LignoValue Pilot, Biorizon co-initiator VITO, Worley Belgium and PMV realised a pilot line to demonstrate technologies to depolymerise lignin in a continuous process. The pilot plant allows proof-of-concepts of the different process steps to be delivered. The LignoValue Pilot is moreover located on a specialised site, where safety, material supply and product flow are guaranteed. The proximity of VITO, Flanders' sustainability research organisation, is a major asset. Press release: " LignoValue inaugurated: Europe’s first and only pilot line of bio-aromatics from lignin ", 06/10/2022. Related posts: " VITO will build a pilot plant of bio-aromatics from lignin through the LignoValue Pilot project ", 30/07/2018. Figure 1. VITO launches pilot line to produce ...

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Technip Energies and MetGen Oy have announce a collaboration for the industrialization of METNIN® technology for the valorization of lignin. Lignin is a high-volume waste stream of biorefineries that is currently burned.  METNIN® is an enzymatic process technology that enables the fractionation of lignin from lignocellulosic feedstocks to produce various renewable bio-products. Technip Energies and MetGen have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly bring a standardized solution for lignin refining to the global market. Press release: " Technip Energies and MetGen Join Forces to Industrialize METNIN® Lignin Refining Technology ", 28/09/2022,

Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. BASF and RiKarbon Inc., a U.S.-based technology start-up, have announced the signing of a partnership contract to exclusively license and commercialize proprietary technology from RiKarbon. Press release: " BASF announces innovation partnership with RiKarbon on emollients derived from bio-waste ", 21/09/2022. RiKarbon’s patented technology allows the upcycling of bio-waste into bio-based, biodegradable emollients for the global personal care market, supporting the industry’s drive to innovative sustainable solutions. RiKarbon has demonstrated the conversion of bio-waste to new unique emollient chemical structures, while quickly elevating the technology from the laboratory-scale to the pilot stage. This innovative technology manufactures a clear and odorless emollient imparting excellent soft and silky sensory properties to personal care formulations. BASF intends to bring the RiKarbon technology inhouse and is planning a market launch of the initi...