Stora Enso has received regulatory approval from the EU Commission to proceed with the acquisition of De Jong Packaging Group, announced in September 2022. Closure of the transaction is still ongoing and expected to be finalised at the beginning of 2023. The Nordic company acquires De Jong Packaging Group, based in the Netherlands, for an enterprise value of approximately EUR 1,020 million. This acquisition will advance Stora Enso’s strategic direction, accelerate revenue growth and build market share in renewable packaging in Europe. De Jong Packaging Group is one of the largest corrugated packaging producers in the Benelux countries. Its product portfolio and geographic presence will complement and enhance Stora Enso’s offering, especially in fresh produce, e-commerce and industrial packaging.
An exclusive interview with Florent Allais, President of CEBB. “The transition to bio-based products requires the implementation of more coherent regulations”
“France has been involved and promoted the bioeconomy for a long time, even before the word bioeconomy was used. The effort for supporting valorization of biomass for producing energy chemicals and materials started in the 90’s with a dedicated agency so-called AGRICE”. To say this – in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Florent Allais, President of the Centre Européen de Biotechnologie et de Bioéconomie based in Pomacle. With Prof. Allais we talk about the French and the European bioeconomy, the role of research and technology transfer and the importance of collaborations at European level.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
LanzaTech and Sumitomo Riko joined forces to create substitute for natural rubber production
LanzaTech and Sumitomo Riko Company Limited entered into a joint-development agreement to reuse rubber, resin and urethane waste for the production of a key chemical intermediate, isoprene. Isoprene is produced by plants, and along with its polymers, is the main component of natural rubber. Natural rubber is widely regarded as more eco-friendly than synthetic rubber from virgin fossil inputs, but without strong sustainability certification and audits, the impact of harvesting natural rubber from trees has been linked in some cases to deforestation, biodiversity loss and soil erosion. In addition, much like other agriculturally based industries, climate change and disease can severely impact production.
Basf presented its current research projects and examples of innovation in the circular bioeconomy
German chemical giant Basf presented its current research projects and examples of innovation for various value chain steps. The event focused on technologies where microorganisms contribute to greater sustainability. Our researchers worldwide are working on innovative solutions to tap alternative raw material sources and to develop climate-friendly production processes and products, said Melanie Maas-Brunner, member of the Board of Executive Directors of Basf SE and Chief Technology Officer.
Science Based Targets initiative validates DSM’s ambition to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions as 1.5°C aligned
Royal DSM, a global purpose-led science-based company, confirms that its target to cut scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has been determined to be in line with the latest climate science and in keeping global warming to no more than 1.5°C by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Neste to acquire used cooking oil collection and aggregation business from Crimson Renewable Energy in the US
Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel produced from waste and residue raw materials, has agreed to acquire the used cooking oil (UCO) collection and aggregation business and related assets in the United States from Crimson Renewable Energy Holdings, LLC. The transaction includes shares in SeQuential Environmental Services, LLC, and Pure, LLC, as well as a UCO processing plant in Salem, Oregon. The transaction is subject to the fulfillment of customary closing conditions and regulatory approval.
Embraced, a step forward for a Circular Bioeconomy in Europe
Horizon 2020 Embraced Project was protagonist at Ecomondo in Rimini last week. Hosted and organised by Novamont, the event offered the opportunity to present to a selected public made of stakeholders, professionals and policymakers the final achievements of this project started in June 2017.
The Bioeconomy makes its debut at the Conference of Parties in Sharm el-Sheikh
We receive and publish this post by Jukka Kantola, the founder of the World BioEconomy Forum. The World BioEconomy Forum is a global platform for circular bioeconomy stakeholders to share ideas and promote bio-based solutions.
We have witnessed that several economies are putting more efforts into the bioeconomy. Only in the last half year alone there have been multiple examples of work being carried out, despite other challenges, including the tail end of the pandemic, geopolitical tensions and energy prices.
TotalEnergies Corbion and BGF enter a long-term collaboration
Be Good Friends (BGF) and TotalEnergies Corbion entered a long-term collaborative arrangement for application development and the supply of Luminy® PLA. Both leading bioplastic companies are focused on the development and production of biodegradable materials and products.
UPM inaugurates state-of-the-art combined heat and power (CHP) plant at Europe’s largest paper mill
UPM has officially opened a new combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Germany, bringing the company closer to meeting its ambitious target to decrease its CO2 emissions by 65% by 2030. The Finnish company is committed to meeting the targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement well in advance, through practicing climate-positive forestry, innovating novel products and taking actions such as investing in renewable and efficient energy solutions to power its own sites, while taking part in the transformation of energy systems in Europe.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 