The demo plant of French company Global Bioenergies, located at the Leuna refinery site, has successfully operated its entire technical process: fermentation, purification, and filling station. The first bottle containing renewable isobutene has been filled.
Tennessee-based Eastman Chemical Company and Origin Materials (formerly known as Micromidas) have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement for Eastman to license its proprietary 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid (“FDCA”) and FDCA derivatives production technology from renewable resources to Origin Materials. Origin also recently purchased an oxidation pilot plant from Eastman that will enable Origin to demonstrate the licensed technology. Terms of the license agreement and pilot plant sale were not disclosed.
A new deal in the animal feed sector. Royal DSM, the Dutch global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, acquired Twilmij B.V., a well-established Dutch nutritional solutions company in the animal feed sector.
“By taking the time to scale up efficiently and deliberately, our position in the bioeconomy is growing. Circa remains focused on creating non-toxic, high-performance chemicals from cellulose, using our FuracellTM technology. We are targeting a market of over 900,000 tonnes per annum, growing at 4%. While we do not want to compete in the inevitable price war currently unfolding, as companies vie to be ‘last man standing’ to extract some cash out of legacy plants producing these toxic products, we do see plenty of opportunity to sensibly scale into the market over the next 5-10 years”. To say this – in this long, exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Tony Duncan, CEO of Circa Group, an Australian innovative company which is converting biomass into advanced biochemical materials.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
Swiss Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, and Enviral, the largest producer of bioethanol in Slovakia, have signed a license agreement on sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol technology.
BioAmber has a new Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors of the renewable materials company based in Canada announced yesterday the appointment of Richard P. Eno as its new CEO and new member of the Board, effective September 18th, 2017. The selection of Eno caps a search process facilitated by Spencer Stuart, a global executive search firm which specializes in placing senior management personnel.
A New study conducted by nova-Institute and ordered by CropEnergies, which will be presented and discussed for the first time in Brussels on 26 September 2017, conducts quantitative and qualitative sustainability assessment of biofuels against the background of the EU’s REDII negotiations. This comprehensive sustainability assessment carried out by the German company led by Michael Caurs “shows that first generation bioethanol is as advantageous as second generation bioethanol for a feasible climate strategy”. According the nova-Institute “the results clearly indicate that the systematic discrimination against first generation biofuels of the current Commission proposal is in no way founded on scientific evidence. It would be counterproductive to further lower the share of first generation fuels in the EU’s energy mix”.
Bio-on and Kering Eyewear join forces to develop new materials based on Minerv PHAs, the revolutionary bioplastic which is 100% natural and biodegradable. “This is the first time in the world that a company in the eyewear industry has decided to carry out research with our biopolymers,” explains Marco Astorri, Chairman and CEO of Bio-on.
The chemical giant BASF and bse Engineering have signed an exclusive joint development agreement for BASF to provide custom made catalysts for a new chemical energy storage process. This process will enable economically viable transformation of excess current and off-gas carbon dioxide (CO2) into the chemical energy storage methanol in small-scale, delocalized production units.
Elopak, an international supplier of paper based packaging solutions for liquid food, based in Norway and wholly owned by the Ferd Group, and Stora Enso has launched the first gable top carton made from natural brown unbleached paperboard, creating the Naturally Pure-Pak® carton with a highly distinctive, natural look and feel.
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