Author: Il Bioeconomista

In Germany more than 60 million euros for the Carbon2Chem project

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Heinrich Hiesinger, ThyssenKrupp Ceo, in Leuna
Heinrich Hiesinger, ThyssenKrupp Ceo, in Leuna

In Duisburg yesterday Johanna Wanka, German Minister of Education and Research, announced funding of more than 60 million euros for the Carbon2Chem project initiated by thyssenkrupp. The aim of Carbon2Chem is to convert process gases from steel production – including the CO2 they contain – into base chemicals. The greenhouse gas CO2 would then no longer be discharged into the atmosphere. The energy required for the conversion process is to come from renewable sources. 

Sixteen partners from the areas of basic and applied research and various sectors of industry are involved in the project. thyssenkrupp and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion have carried out preparatory planning and scientific work. “Carbon2Chem can be an important contribution to climate protection and the transition to renewables,” said Heinrich Hiesinger, CEO of thyssenkrupp AG. Continue reading →

PTT Plc to develop biochemical products over the next five years in Thailand

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Asia is the new center of gravity of the world bioeconomy. Thailand’s largest energy company, PTT Pcl, plans to invest about 40 billion baht (approximately 1 bln euro) to develop biochemical products over the next five years.

The move will help Thailand become a centre for the bioplastic industry in the Asia Pacific region, Chansin Treenuchagron, senior executive vice president for PTT’s petrochemical unit, said, adding that biochemicals are expected to contribute about 2 percent of PTT’s revenue by 2020.

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The development of the European bioeconomy needs Great Britain and viceversa

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London leaves and Cameron leaves Downing Street

British voters have voted in favor of Brexit: British exit from the European Union. That means that in the coming months, British and European leaders will begin negotiating the terms of Britain’s departure. Britain’s exit will affect British and EU economies, and also the bioeconomy. It will take years for the full consequences to become clear. From our point of view, as Europeans, it is an absurd. Obviously we do not put in discussion the result of the vote. We simply think that Great Britain  is an integral part of the European Union. The development of the European bioeconomy needs Great Britain and viceversa.

The bioeconomy speaks Chinese

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Li Keqiang, Prime Minister of China

The bioeconomy speaks Chinese. Cathay Industrial Biotech, a Chinese leading privately-held industrial biotechnology company focused on producing specialty bio-based chemicals, announced a ground-breaking and agreement signing to initiate a significant expansion in their production capability for bio-produced long chain dibasic acids (LCDA) and ground-breaking of production facility for bio-pentanediamine (DN5), and bio-polyamide (bio-PA).

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No agreement between Eni and SK Capital on the sale of a majority share in Versalis

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Daniele Ferrari, Ceo of Versalis-Eni

Eni, the Italian oil giant, announces that the negotiations with the U.S. investment fund SK Capital over the sale of a majority share in Versalis S.p.A. have been terminated due to an impossibility to reach a resolution on certain issues, including the future governance of the company. Therefore, starting from the second quarter results, Eni will fully consolidate Versalis within the group’s accounts.

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Biobased Industries and the Vanguard Initiative sign MoU for interregional cooperation

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Berlaymont, Brussels

Two leading European bioeconomy players, the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and the Vanguard Initiative, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for better interregional cooperation on the bioeconomy.

The collaboration will support improved access to funding and awareness-raising activities, marrying BIC’s bioeconomy expertise with the Vanguard Initiative’s regional network to help steer Europe away from its fossil-based past and develop novel products for new markets, creating more jobs.

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Novamont’s bio-based butanediol plant will be on stream by the next September

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Catia Bastioli, Ceo of Novamont

Novamont’s bio-based butanediol (BDO) plant in Bottrighe di Adria (Veneto, North-eastern Italy), established as a joint venture (Mater Biotech) with San Diego-based Genomatica and now entirely controlled by the company headquartered in Novara, will come on stream by the end of September. It is a big step forward for the Italian bioeconomy, which is confirmed in its leading role in Europe.

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A U.S. warship took its first delivery of Italian-made biofuel

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USS Mason
USS Mason

A U.S. warship took its first delivery of Italian-made biofuel on Thursday as part of the Navy’s program to use more alternative energy. The USS Mason was refueled alongside an Italian vessel, the Andrea Doria, in the seas off of Italy’s southern coast with a mix produced by Italy’s Eni that has 5.5 percent palm oil biofuel blended into marine fuel.

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Nissan develops a SOFC-powered systems that runs on bioethanol electric power

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Nissan Global headquarter, Japan

Nissan Motor announced that it is currently researching and developing a Solid Oxide Fuel-Cell (SOFC)-powered system that runs on bio-ethanol electric power. The new system -a world first for automotive use – features an e-Bio Fuel-Cell with an SOFC power generator. SOFC is a fuel cell utilizing the reaction of multiple fuels, including ethanol and natural gas, with oxygen to produce electricity with high efficiency.

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Cathay Pacific: from Toulouse to Hong Kong using Amyris renewable jet fuel

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Amyris, the U.S. industrial bioscience company, announced that, on May 29, Cathay Pacific commenced a two-year program of flights from Toulouse to Hong Kong using Amyris renewable jet fuel. The initial 12-hour flight was the longest flight using a renewable jet fuel to date, further underpinning the drop-in characteristics of Amyris Biojet fuels.

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