Economy

Reims center of gravity of the world bioeconomy. EFIB 2014 goes to France

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
The beautiful cathedral of Reims, France
The beautiful cathedral of Reims, France

EuropaBio and Smithers Rapra, in association with IAR, unveil the highly-anticipated agenda for the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology (EFIB) from 1-2 October 2014 taking place in Reims, the heart of Champagne-Ardenne (France). Committed to creating a forum to address opportunities and challenges for the biobased economy, EFIB is consistent in attracting an unrivalled calibre of speakers from across the fields of both policy and business. This year’s high level plenary includes a French ministerial address from this year’s host nation, complemented by the European Commission’s take on the future of the European biobased economy. Followed by a discussion on shale gas and how it is impacting investments and market development in petrochemical and biobased value chains, featuring representatives from Shell and European Bioplastics.

Continue reading →

Addax Bioenergy starts sugarcane bioethanol and power production in Sierra Leone

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
Bioethanol project in Sierra Leone
Bioethanol project in Sierra Leone

Addax Bioenergy, a sugarcane-based renewable energy company, announced that its facility in Makeni, Sierra Leone, has started producing sugarcane bioethanol and renewable electricity. The company will produce 85,000 m3 of bioethanol per year by end 2016. The pioneering project involves the development of a Greenfield 10,000 hectare sugarcane plantation, the construction of a bioethanol refinery and a biomass-fuelled co-generation plant to produce green power and contribute about 20% of Sierra Leone’s national electricity requirements. It has been developed in partnership with eight Development Finance Institutions, and is the only bioethanol project to be brought to financial close in Africa.

Continue reading →

nova-Institut: Our Proposals for a Reform of the Renewable Energy Directive to a Renewable Energy and Materials Directive

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
image
Biofuels or biochemicals? nova-Institut proposes a reform of the RED

nova-paper #4 “Proposals for a Reform of the Renewable Energy Directive to a Renewable Energy and Materials Directive (REMD)” presents a reform proposal that aims at creating a level playing field for bio-based chemicals and materials with bioenergy and biofuels in Europe. It is fundamentally different from other reforms of the Directive being currently discussed because it opens the perspective to not only look at energy, but also at bio-based materials.

Continue reading →

Invista launches bio-based Lycra

Il Bioeconomista1 Comment
image
Headquarter of Invista in Wichita, Kansas

Invista, one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers and fibers, and owner of the Lycra brand, introduces the only commercial offering of a bio-derived spandex available globally and for use in a wide variety of apparel fabrics and garments. Approximately 70% by weight of the new Lycra bio-derived spandex fiber comes from a renewable source made from dextrose derived from corn. The use of a renewable feedstock in the making of this new Lycra bio-derived fiber results in a lower CO2 emissions footprint than spandex produced using traditional raw materials.

Continue reading →

Scottish whisky distilleries become more bio-based

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
image
Aberfeldy distillery

The UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) has announced £5 million of funding for a pipeline of energy efficiency projects at a number of Scottish distilleries. Half of this will come from GIB, with matched funding from the private sector. Aberfeldy distillery in Perthshire will be taking advantage of the new funding available. This follows GIB’s announcement last year of an investment at the Tomatin distillery, near Inverness. Tomatin is on track to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by c. 80%. 

Continue reading →

The upcoming elections are crucial for the future of the bioeconomy in the European Union

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
European Parliament, Brussels
European Parliament, Brussels

From Thursday to Sunday we European Union citizens will be called to elect a new parliament. These elections are important, not only because for the first time will decide who will lead the European Commission. But mostly because the next 5 years represent a crucial point to understand whether the European Union will remain nothing more than a geographical expression (as Metternich called Italy in the Nineteenth century, before its Unification), or will be able to achieve a common economic and monetary policy, and with it a tax policy, a labor policy, etc. In one word: Policies.

Continue reading →

Tetra Pak: “All of the packages we produce in Brazil are now bio-based”

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
Tetra Pak Headquarter in Lund (Sweden)
Tetra Pak Headquarter in Lund (Sweden)

Tetra Pak, the world leader in food processing and packaging solutions, headquartered in Sweden, announced that all of the packages it produces in Brazil are now using bio-based low-density polyethylene (LDPE). ​​Combined with paperboard, the use of bio-based LDPE made from sugar cane increases the content of materials from renewable sources to as much as 82% in a Tetra Brik Aseptic​ 1000ml Base package, the world’s best selling carton package range for beverages.​​

Continue reading →

Hungary relies on the bioeconomy to grow

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
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.

Continue reading →

The 87th Alpine Corps National muster is bio-based

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
image
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.

Continue reading →

Dyadic launched a new enzyme to enhance paper and textile quality

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
image
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.

Continue reading →