Economy

Hungary relies on the bioeconomy to grow

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The Hungarian Parliament in Budapest
The Hungarian Parliament in Budapest

Hungary relies on the bioeconomy to grow. Its capital region has vast untapped biomass resources and R&D competencies, states a recent study on the future landscapes of bioeconomy. The paper was accomplished within the framework of the Bioeconomy platform of Climate-KIC, Europe’s largest public-private innovation partnership focused on mitigating and adapting to climate change.

The Bioeconomy platform aims to support the transition to a bio-based economy by developing an integrated, holistic approach across entire value chains from  feedstock production to efficient processing and conversion, and ultimately the production and marketing of bio-based products. Along these lines the Hungarian study delivers an insight into the emerging field of bioeconomy with emphasis  on the opportunities in Hungary by means of assessing natural endowments, key stakeholders and R&D infrastructure from the perspective of relevant Climate-KIC projects. The main European and global drivers as well as the basic technological knowledge are also presented.

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The 87th Alpine Corps National muster is bio-based

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Alpine corps muster in Novara

They made history in Italy with memorable feats of heroism, driven by the love for their country and by values that make theirs a unique outfit: this is the Alpine Corps, also known as the Black Feathers, which is holding its 87th muster from the 9th to the 11th of May 2014 in Pordenone. With 450,000 participants expected, producing around 350,000 kg of waste, the event has the potential to create a significant environmental impact. In order to alleviate the effect on the Pordenone ecosystem, the ANA (National Alpine Corps Association), the COA (Muster Organising Committee) and GEA, the Pordenone environmental services company, in collaboration with Novamont, global leader in the bioplastics field, have introduced different ecosustainable initiatives.

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Dyadic launched a new enzyme to enhance paper and textile quality

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South Australian Forest

Dyadic International, a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of enzymes and other proteins for the bioenergy, bio-based chemicals, biopharmaceutical, food and feed industries, announced that it has launched Fibrezyme® G4, a high performance cellulase enzyme product designed to enhance paper and textile quality, while improving the economics of our customers’ manufacturing processes.

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Exclusive interview with Jukka Kantola, NISCluster: EU policies for the use of biomass are short-sighted

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“At the moment focus in European policies is to endorse biomass utilization for the energy applications. This is short-sighted, as on those applications biomass does not bring the best added value. Also there is not enough biomass in Europe to meet up all energy and climate target in EU-level. Biomass is more valuable on chemical and material applications”. To say it, in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista, is Jukka Kantola, CEO of NISCluster, a Finnish private bioeconomy company with a focus on the woody biomass. With Kantola we talk about the bioeconomy in Finland, the EU policies and the different uses of biomass.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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Air travel is more biobased: Lufthansa will test Gevo’s isobutanol-derived jet fuel

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Air travel is more bio-based. Gevo, Inc., the world’s only commercial producer of renewable isobutanol, announced last Tuesday that it has come to an agreement with Lufthansa to evaluate Gevo’s renewable jet fuel with the goal of approving Gevo’s alcohol-to-jet fuel (ATJ) for commercial aviation use. Lufthansa’s testing is being supported through work with the European Commission. 

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US study: biofuels from the leftovers of harvested corn plants worse than gasoline for global warming in the short term

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US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz
US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz

“Removal of corn residue for biofuels can decrease soil organic carbon  and increase CO2 emissions because residue C in biofuels is oxidized to CO2 at a faster rate than when added to soil. Net CO2 emissions from residue removal are not adequately characterized in biofuel life cycle assessment”. A $500,000 study – paid for by the U.S. federal government and released last Sunday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Climate Change – concludes that biofuels made with corn residue release 7% more greenhouse gases in the early years compared with conventional gasoline.

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The EU Parliament voted on new legislation aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastic carrier bag

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European Parliament, Strasbourg

Europeans use about 100 million plastic carrier bags every year. Some of these are dropped as litter, ending up in the environment, where long-standing plastics accumulate and harm wildlife. The European Parliament today voted on new EU legislation aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastic carrier bags.

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Bio-based chemicals: Rivertop Renewables has raised $26 million from Cargill and others investors

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Missoula, Montana: here is located the headquarter of Rivertop
Missoula, Montana: here is located the headquarter of Rivertop

Rivertop Renewables, a U.S. producer of novel chemicals derived from natural plant sugars, based in Montana, has raised $26 million from Cargill (an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services), First Green Partners (an enterprise focused on commercializing advanced technologies in the carbon value chain) and existing investors.

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From Cologne the European bioindustry calls for a policy that encourages more biochemicals

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Maternushaus, venue of the conference
Maternushaus, venue of the conference in Cologne

Three days of interesting debate with regard to the future development of bio-based materials. This was the Seventh International Conference on bio-based materials, organized by the nova-Institut from April 8 to 10 in Cologne. With the presence of some of the major European players – companies, univerties and research centers – the three days in the beautiful German city on the Rhine have been an opportunity to discuss on the progress of research on bio-based materials, the political support to the bio-based economy in Europe and in the member states and what measures are necessary to enable the Old Continent to be competitive in international markets.

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The biopolymers market is expected to generate global revenue of 3.67 billion US dollars by 2018

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Novamont's Headquarter in Novara (Italy)
Novamont’s Headquarter in Novara (Italy)

The biopolymers market growing at a compound annual growth rate of 14.5% is expected to generate global revenue of 3,668.6 million US dollars by 2018. It’s what emerges from the new Report on “Biopolymers/Bioplastics Market by Type (Bio PET, Bio PE, PLA, PHA, Bio PBS, Starch Blends, and Regenerated Cellulose), by Application (Packaging, Bottles, Fibers, Agriculture, Automotive, and Others) & by Geography – Trends & Forecasts to 2018” published by Research and Markets, the Irish company which is the leading source for international market research and market data.

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