Economy

Global demand for bioplastics will rise 19% per year to 950,000 metric tons in 2017

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Gold Plast Collection, Materbi by Novamont
Gold Plast Collection, Materbi by Novamont

According to a new study on “World Bioplastics” published by The Freedonia Group, global demand for biobased and biodegradable plastics will rise 19 percent per year to 950,000 metric tons in 2017. The bioplastics industry, while still in the emerging growth phase, has established itself as a fixture in a number of commercial markets and applications. Robust growth in demand is expected in virtually all geographic markets, stimulated by consumer preferences for sustainable materials, the increased adoption of bioplastics by plastic processors and compounders, and new product development that expands the range of uses for bioplastics.

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Exclusive interview with Stan Blade, Alberta Innovates: Canada has a tremendous biomass base

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alberta

“Canada has a tremendous biomass base. In Alberta we have 22m+ ha of agricultural land and 35+m of forest land. We see groups coming from around the world to access our biomass”. To say it is Stan Blade, Chief Executive Officer at Alberta Innovates – Bio Solutions, a research agency funded by the Government of Alberta that works with partners to identify, coordinate and fund research projects. It helps solve industry challenges with solutions that deliver economic, environmental and social benefits. In this interview with Blade we talk about the bioeconomy in Canada, with a special focus on Alberta, which is investing strongly in converting the province’s biomass resources beyond traditional commodities into higher value products.  These new products increase economic returns from Alberta’s natural resources.  Biomass includes agriculture and forestry fibre, by-products and other feedstocks such as livestock manure and municipal solid waste.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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New report: Advanced biofuels could grow to at least 20% of the biofuels market in Europe in 2030

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Daimler Headquarter in Stuttgart, Germany
Daimler Headquarter in Stuttgart, Germany

A new report from sustainable energy consultancy E4tech, commissioned by Auto-Fuel Coalition, a group of international vehicle and fuel companies (Daimler, Honda, Volkswagen, Neste Oil, OMV and Shell), has outlined the first harmonised Auto-Fuel Biofuels Roadmap for the EU to 2030. With future energy scenarios showing liquid fuels remaining important to the long-term energy mix, biofuels and vehicle efficiency will be essential if the European transport sector is to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet its decarbonisation targets.

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Nestlé encourages the responsible development of bioplastics

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Nestlé Headquarter in Vevey, Switzerland
Nestlé Headquarter in Vevey, Switzerland

Nestlé, the Swiss multinational food and beverage company, headquartered in Vevey, has announced that it will work in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and seven consumer firms to encourage the responsible development of bioplastics, derived from plant materials. Along with Nestlé, the Bioplastics Feedstock Alliance (BFA) will include key fast-moving consumer goods firms: The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, Ford, H.J. Heinz Company, Nike, P&G, and Unilever.

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Exclusive interview with Ignaas Caryn, KLM: The development of a bioeconomy holds great social and economic potential

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KLM Boeing powered by biofuel
KLM Boeing powered by biofuel

“I believe that for Europe the development of a bioeconomy holds great social and economic potential. Therefore I hope that Europe will take the right decisions when it comes to defining sustainable feedstock and dealing with ILUC (Indirect land use change impacts of biofuels) issues, not limiting the development of a great sustainable new industry for Europe.” To say it is Ignaas Caryn, director KLM Corporate Venturing and Biofuels. In this interview with the manager of the Dutch Airline Group we speak about bioeconomy and the future of the aviation industry.

“Sustainable aviation – says Caryn – contributing to a bioeconomy is indeed one of the key drivers behind our innovation strategy, and our corporate venturing activities form a key part in executing that strategy”.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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The Chemical Industry will be more and more green and sustainable. This is the strong message that comes from Ecochem

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Congress Center Basel, Switzerland
Congress Center Basel, Switzerland

A great success. This was Ecochem, the event on sustainable chemistry and bio-based economy which was held in Basel November 19 to 21. The three-day conference saw the presence of the major players (more than 2000 attendees and approximately 200 speakers) of the global bioeconomy: the chemical industry which is investing strongly into biotechnology. But also giants of other sectors, like Nike that has begun research programs for the use of biological resources in its products, strategic consulting firm like McKinsey – which confirmed that the future of the chemical industry will be green and sustainable – young biotech companies like the German Evocatal and the Portuguese SilicoLife, and investors like Sofinnova and Capricorn Venture.

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M&G Chemicals will construct a second-generation biorefinery in China

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The M&G Biorefinery in Crescentino, Italy
The M&G Biorefinery in Crescentino, Italy

M&G Chemicals, among the three largest producers of PET resin for packaging applications in the world, announced last Monday its decision to construct a second-generation biorefinery in the region of Fuyang, Anhui Province of China, for the conversion of one million metric tons of biomass into bio-ethanol and bio-glycols.

The project is expected to be realized through a joint-venture with Chinese company Guozhen which will make available one million metric tons of straw biomass and use the lignin resulting as a by-product from the bio-refinery to feed a 45 MW cogeneration plant which will be constructed at the same time as the bio-refinery in the same site. M&G Chemicals will be majority partner of the biorefinery and minority partner of the power plant.

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Exclusive interview with Sebastian Søderberg, VP Novozymes: “The Bioeconomy reconciles growth, jobs and sustainability”

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Novozymes Headquarter
Novozymes Headquarter

“The biobased economy has an unprecedented ability to reconcile growth, jobs, rural development and sustainability. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2020, biorefining could generate globally over € 225 billion Euro per year across the whole biomass value chain. Policy makers around the globe are waking up to the potential of the biobased economy progressively”. To say it in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista is Sebastian Søderberg, Vice President, Biomass Conversion, of Novozymes, the Danish biotech company with a strong focus on enzyme production and world leader in bioinnovation. With Søderberg we talk about bioeconomy, with a special focus on European policies to encourage the development of the sector: “A comprehensive policy – says the Danish top manager – should therefore stimulate both the demand (tax incentives, production support and feed in tariff) and supply (feedstock collection and supply-chain incentives) for biobased products as well as unlock the necessary investments for demonstration and first-of-its-kind commercial-scale plants (e.g. through the PPP on Biobased Industries)”.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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Naturex and Galactic together to develop a range of preservation systems

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Thierry Lambert, President of Naturex
Thierry Lambert, President of Naturex

There is a new French-Belgian joint research program in the bioeconomy. Naturex, the global leader in specialty plant-based natural ingredients, headquartered in Avignon, and Galactic, the world expert in lactic acid and lactates based natural ingredients, headquartered in Brussels, launched it last Friday to develop a range of preservation systems that include both anti-microbial and antioxidant protection.

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France places bioeconomy at the heart of its innovation programme supporting Deinove

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Arnaud Montebourg, French Minister of Industrial Renewal
Arnaud Montebourg, French Minister of Industrial Renewal

France invests in the bioeconomy. Ademe, the Environment and Energy Management Agency, and the General Investment Commission have chosen the industrial biotech company Deinove and the Deinochem programme to solidify one of the key sectors of government support for industrial innovation.

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