Evonik achieves a breakthrough in the biotechnological production of amino acids based on fermentation

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Evonik is headquartered in Essen

Using creativity and unconventional ideas, researchers and engineers at Evonik, one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals, have achieved a significant breakthrough in the biotechnological production of amino acids based on fermentation. They integrated the separating methods of chromatography and reverse osmosis and an online analytical method based on spectroscopy—all of which tend to be used in other industry sectors—in a biotechnological process. This created an outcome experts had previously considered nearly impossible. The researchers’ objective was to achieve optimal separation of the desired amino acid from a fermentation broth.

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DSM invests in US manufactoring facility for sustainable resins

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Headquarter of Royal DSM in Heerlen (The Netherlands)

Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in The Netherlands, announced yesterday a “substantial investment” in its Wilmington, Massachusetts (USA) manufacturing facility in order to produce waterborne resins for inks and coatings. Driven by its commitment to grow the sustainable coatings market, DSM will
upgrade its facilities to produce state-of-the-art waterborne resins for inks and coatings.

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Basf exits bio-based acrylic acid partnership with Cargill and Novozymes

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Kurt Bock, Ceo of Basf

Chemical giant Basf has decided to exit the current R&D collaboration with Novozymes and Cargill to develop a bio-based process for producing 3-hydroxypropionic (3-HP) and acrylic acid from renewable raw materials.

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Short agro-industrial chains for bioproducts: Novamont and Coldiretti sign strategic agreement

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Catia Bastioli, CEO of Novamont

“A project to establish an agricultural sector which respects the region, which enhances the value of abandoned and unirrigated land in order to feed into the first integrated biorefinery model in the region. It will be in synergy with the food production chain and centred on high value-added products which can reduce and replace higher-impact raw materials sourced from further afield.” This is the core of the agreement signed by Catia Bastioli, CEO of Novamont and Matrìca (a 50/50 joint venture between Novamont and Versalis), Roberto Moncalvo, chairman of Coldiretti, and Mauro Tonello, chairman of Consorzi Agrari d’Italia (CAI), for the creation of innovative agro-industrial chains to create short-chain biolubricants and bioplastics.

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Alkol Biotech has started shipping of its EUnergy Cane sugarcane hybrid grown in Spain

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Motril, Spain

Alkol Biotech – a Spanish research company focused on the development of new plant varieties adapted to the needs of specific biofuel markets – has started shipping of its EUnergyCane sugarcane hybrid grown in Spain. The customer, a danish provider of cellulosic ethanol technologies, will use the hybrid to test its technologies aiming to the increasingly large cellulosic ethanol in Brazil, and is receiving it as dry bagasse.

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Lux Research: Bio-based materials and chemicals from emerging technologies will rise to over 7.4 million metric tons in 2018

PR Graphic_BBMC_1-20-15Led by growth in the U.S. and Brazil, the global capacity to produce bio-based materials and chemicals (BBMC) from emerging technologies will rise to over 7.4 million metric tons in 2018, more than tripling from 2008 levels, according to Lux Research.

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France raised the maximum level of biofuels in diesel sold at services stations

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Ségolène Royal, Energy Minister of France

The French energy ministry issued a decree on Dec. 31 that raised the maximum level of biofuels in diesel sold at services stations in France to 8 percent by volume, higher than the EU-agreed limit of 7 percent.

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Finnish Valio the first company to sell milk in biobased carton packaging

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Tetra Pak Headquarter in Lund (Sweden)

Finnish dairy producer, Valio, becomes the first company in the world to sell products to consumers in carton packaging made entirely from plant-based materials. Consumers are able to buy these packages at retail shops in Finland from this week.

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Avantium sells its crystallization systems business to Technobis

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Avantium and Coca-Cola together to produce bio-based bottles

Avantium, a leading technology company specialized in the area of advanced catalytic research and renewable chemistry, announces today the successful sale of its crystallization systems business to the Technobis Group, a group of companies providing development and supply of high-tech instruments and modules for companies worldwide.

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Second Generation Biofuels Market is Expected to Reach $23.9 Billion, Global, by 2020

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The Mossi Ghisolfi Biorefinery in Crescentino, Italy

According to a new report by Allied Market Research titled “Global Second Generation Biofuels -Size, Industry Analysis, Trends, Opportunities, Growth and Forecast, 2013 – 2020”, the global second generation biofuels (Advanced Biofuels) market would reach $23.9 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 49.4% during 2014 – 2020.

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