For International Women’s Day, we dedicate a tribute to the 8 women who have distinguished themselves in the bioeconomy in 2015. With their huge capacity and their infinite passion, they are the stars of the world bioeconomy. Of course, best wishes to all women.
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Business
MCNS launched its joint venture bio-polyol manufacturing company in India
Mitsui Chemicals & SKC Polyurethanes Inc. (“MCNS”) celebrated the official launching of its joint venture bio-polyol manufacturing company in India, Vithal Castor Polyols Pvt. Ltd. (“VCP”), with an opening ceremony.
At the ceremony, Co-CEOs of MCNS Ki Don Won and Hiroyasu Ishimaru and Jayant Agro-Organics Ltd. Chairman Abhay V. Udeshi addressed the guests which included ministers from the South Korean and Japanese missions in India and other important persons.
Corbion completed the pre-engineering for a PLA polymerization plant in Thailand
Corbion, the global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives and lactides, yesterday announced it has completed the pre-engineering for a PLA polymerization plant and is entering the basic-engineering phase. Following strong customer interest in PLA, Corbion commenced with pre-engineering in 2015.
Leonardo Di Caprio: “Climate change is real. Let us not take this planet for granted”
“Making The Revenant was about man’s relationship with the natural world,” Di Caprio said. “A world that we collectively felt in 2015 was the hottest year in recorded history. Our production team needed to go to the southern tip of this planet just to be able to find snow; climate change is real, and it’s happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work together and stop procrastinating. We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations, but who speak for all of humanity; and for the indigenous people of the world; for the billions and billions of underprivileged people who will be most affected by this; for our children’s children; and for all the people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed. Let us not take this planet for granted; I do not take tonight for granted.”
Boeing, Aeromexico, Mexican Government Collaborate on Sustainable Aviation Biofuel
Boeing, Aeromexico and Mexico’s Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA) will collaborate with a biojet program supported by Mexico’s Sector Fund for Energy Sustainability (SENER-CONACYT) to advance research and development of sustainable aviation biofuel in Mexico.
The initiative, announced last Thursday and coordinated through the Mexican Bioenergy Innovation Center, will support Mexico’s aviation sector as well as its environmental and socio-economic goals. Executives at Boeing, Aeromexico, ASA and the Potosinian Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (IPICYT) formalized the initiative at a ceremony in Mexico City.
Henri Colens, Braskem Europe: “At the moment biobased is seen as a niche alternative”
“At the moment biobased is seen as a niche alternative. It’s well-respected and is seen to be developing in the right way, but it hasn’t achieved the market penetration to be considered a genuine competitor to the conventional industry – yet. For me, it’s all about reaching that ‘tipping point’. Many stars must align for this to happen, but we’re quite positive that they will in due course”. To say this – in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Henri Colens, Public Affairs Manager, Renewable Chemicals, at Braskem Europe, the European subsidiary of the Brazilian petrochemical giant. With Colens we talk about bioeconomy and circular economy. “The bioeconomy – he says – is a way of harnessing the power of nature in order to create more sustainable products and processes. We all need to work harder on raising public awareness, so that citizens understand what we are doing and the potential of the bioeconomy.”
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
Covestro launches innovative and eco-friendly recycling process
Covestro invests in the circular economy. The German materials manufacturer is testing an innovative and environmentally friendly process for recycling saline process wastewater in plastics production. The pilot plant for the process is localized at the Krefeld-Uerdingen site in Germany. The new technology reduces the salt levels in waters such as the Rhine and conserves potable water resources. It is being used in the production of polycarbonate, a high-performance plastic required in many sectors, including automotive engineering, electronics and medical technology. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment has provided some 740,000 euro in funding to support the project as an outstanding example of how a closed-cycle approach can be put into practice in industry. The total cost of investment is around 3.7 million euro.
GFBiochemicals acquires Segetis and expands in the United States
GFBiochemicals expands in the United States and puts itself in a position of world leadership in the levulinic acid production from biomass. The Italian company, co-founded in 2008 by the young Italian entrepreneur Pasquale Granata and Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini, bought the production facilities and intellectual property rights of Segetis, which is based in Minnesota, according to a statement. Terms weren’t disclosed.
Comet Biorefining announces its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility in Sarnia
Comet Biorefining, a leading provider of sustainable and cost-competitive cellulosic dextrose technology for applications in renewable biochemicals and biofuels, has announced the location of its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility in the TransAlta Energy Park in Sarnia, Ontario. The 60 million pounds per year plant will come online in 2018, producing dextrose sugar from locally-sourced corn stover and wheat straw. Corn stover consists of residues left in the field after harvest including stalks, leaves, husks and cobs.
Versalis and XiMo AG advance Second-Generation Elevance biorefinery technology
It is not a good time to Versalis. But, despite the uncertainty about its future, the chemical company of Italian oil giant Eni continues to focus on green chemistry together with Elevance Renewable Sciences. The high-growth company (headquartered in Woodridge, Illinois), that creates novel specialty chemicals from natural oils, has recently and successfully completed scale-up of a second-generation biorefinery technology of the company’s olefin metathesis technology, utilizing ethylene and natural oil feedstocks.
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