Author: Il Bioeconomista

Metsä Group’s Kuura textile fibre shows competitive greenhouse gas emission level

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Metsa Spring’s team. Source: Metsa Group

Metsä Group has completed a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of its Kuura textile fibre. The assessment shows that Kuura’s global warming potential (GWP100, fossil) score is less than one-third of the next best option, viscose. The Kuura project is currently in a demonstration phase. The new textile fibre is being developed by Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring. The LCA was made by Etteplan. The LCA study and comparison to alternative cellulosic fibres were critically reviewed by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.

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An interview with Dirk Carrez, Executive Director of BIC (Biobased Industries Consortium).

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“Currently, there are policy frameworks for food, feed and bioenergy, but not for bio-based chemicals and derived materials. This gap puts the bio-based chemicals and derived materials sector at a disadvantage, and has also an impact on investments in Europe.”. Dirk Carrez, executive director of BIC (Biobased Industries Consortium) talks to Il Bioeconomista.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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Avantium and Amcor Rigid Packaging partner to advance more sustainable packaging with plant-based polymer releaf

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CEO Tom Van Aken and Her Majesty Queen Maxima. Source: Avantium

Avantium N.V., a leading company in renewable and circular polymer materials, signed a joint development agreement with Amcor Rigid Packaging USA, a  leader in responsible packaging solutions. This partnership aims to explore the use of Avantium’s plant-based polymer PEF – branded as releaf® – in rigid containers for various products, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home, and personal care.

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Fourteen European clusters launch the European Bioeconomy Clusters’ Alliance. “We want the EU to lead in the circular bioeconomy”

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Fourteen cluster from eleven different European countries will launch today in Brussels the European Bioeconomy Clusters Alliance (EU Bioeconomy Clusters Alliance), a new European network that unites efforts to boost the growth of a circular and sustainable bioeconomy across Europe.

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An exclusive interview with Frederic Van Gansberghe, CEO Futerro. The Most Innovative Bioeconomy CEO 2024

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Frederic Van Gansberghe, CEO Futerro

“For me and Futerro, innovation in the bioeconomy is all about reinvention and transition. It’s about finding alternative solutions that weave sustainability, circularity, and ecological resilience into the very core of what we do.” To say it – in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Frederic Van Gansberghe, CEO of Futerro and the Most Innovative Bioeconomy CEO 2024.

According to him, “there is a clear gap between Europe’s ambitions and reality. Many industrial players usually ask to reduce the number of regulations and directives; in my case, I would request to increase their quality”

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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Ecoplanta receives approval: a major step forward with Enerkem’s waste-to-methanol technology

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Enerkem in Westbury, Quebec

The Repsol’s Board of Directors has officially approved the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Ecoplanta project, marking a significant milestone in the drive for the supply of sustainable fuel and product.

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The EU Commission launches a new Biotech and Biomanufactoring Hub, but forgets the industrial biotechnology

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The EU Commission yesterday launched a new Biotech and Biomanufactoring Hub to support companies – particularly start-ups and SMEs – in bringing innovative products to the EU market and increase their competitiveness. The Hub will also help companies identify the support available to them at EU level and how to access this support to help them to expand and grow.

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The EU Commission presented the Competitiveness Compass. “We must fix our weaknesses”, said President Ursula von der Leyen

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Berlaymont, European Commission’s Headquarter in Brussels

Yesterday, the EU Commission presented the Competitiveness Compass, the first major initiative of this mandate providing a strategic and clear framework to steer the Commission’s work. The Compass sets a path for Europe to become the place where future technologies, services, and clean products are invented, manufactured, and put on the market, while being the first continent to become climate neutral.

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UPM Raflatac continues its collaboration with WWF Poland on circular economy and privately protected areas

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UPM Raflatac and WWF Poland have renewed their contract to build a smarter future beyond fossils together. During the new three-year contract period the collaboration will focus on enabling the development of circular economy and promoting privately protected areas, especially wetlands in Poland. The three-year contract will also involve UPM Raflatac’s internal and external stakeholders to increase engagement and support for these two important initiatives given the challenges we are facing today.

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Enilive begins SAF production at its plant in Gela (Sicily), capable of meeting one third of Europe’s demand

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Source: Eni

Enilive commissioned its first plant to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the Gela biorefinery, in Sicily. Production has started at the plant, which has a capacity of 400,000 tonnes per year, representing almost a third of the expected European SAF demand in 2025 (Source: Wood Mackanzie), following the implementation of the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation.

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