Economy

Avantium and BASF are in a dispute about the future of their Synvina joint venture

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Avantium and BASF set up the JV Synvina

“Avantium is a big story in the bioeconomy, but the relationships with big companies as investors are not easy”. To say it at the Sustainable & Circular Bioeconomy Conference in Brussels on October 22 was Jos Peeters, managing partner, founder and director of Capricorn Venture. Indeed, Avantium and BASF are in a dispute about the future of their Synvina joint venture. The companies disagree on the timing for the fulfilment of the criteria to invest in the commercial-scale plant for FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid).

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An interview with Dirk Carrez, BIC. “In 2050, we will live in a Circular Bio-Society”

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Dirk Carrez

“The Bio-based industry grows really strong in confidence. In just a few years, it moved mountains by creating new value chains. This means new partnerships between sectors that never worked together before”. Dirk Carrez, executive director of BIC, which represents the private sector in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the European Commission, also known as the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU), talks to Il Bioeconomista. In this long interview with us he talks about the main achievements of the bio-based industry in Europe and its new vision 2050. “Only with a renewed BBI JU will we be able to effectively work towards realising the Circular Bio-Society”, he says.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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Bio-on and TAIF JSC Group signed an agreement to build first plant for bioplastics in Tatarstan

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Bio-on’s plant in Castel San Pietro, Italy

Italian bioplastics company Bio-on signed today an agreement with the Russian TAIF JSC group, which will acquire a license to build the Russian Federation’s first plant producing 100% natural and biodegradable PHAs bioplastic, in the Republic of Tatarstan.

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An exclusive interview with David Sudolsky, CEO Anellotech. “The future of the chemical industry is in the bioeconomy”

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David Sudolsky

“You know, the name of our company is Italian. Anello (ring in English) wants to mean the circularity, but also the bond as it is represented by the wedding ring”.

It is very pleasant to talk with David Sudolsky, one of the entrepreneurs who is making the bioeconomy happen at global level. He co-founded Anellotech in 2008, secured the initial angel funding for the company, recruited the management team and scientific advisory board, and is leading the expansion of the company.

The company based in New York develops a technology platform for producing petrochemicals and transportation fuels from renewable non-food biomass.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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Grand Opening of Mater Biopolymer, a 100% company owned by Novamont, in Central Italy

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The Patrica Plant

Mater Bipolymer, a 100% company owned by Novamont, today celebrates its Grand Opening in Patrica (Frosinone, Central Italy). The plant represents a new important element of Novamont’s bioeconomy model. “Another virtuous example of territorial regeneration of industrial infrastructures that are no longer competitive”, the company headquartered in Novara claims.

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The updated EU bioeconomy strategy. An interview with Marc Palahí, director EFI

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Marc Palahi at the European Bioeconomy Summit in Helsinki

“We need to put emphasis in ensuring that the areas and actions identified in the new Bioeconomy Strategy are strategically integrated in other European policies and Programmes to ensure coherence, scale and synergies; CAP; Industrial Policy, European Investment Bank portfolio, Strategic Partnership for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement, etc.” To say it – in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Marc Palahí, director at the European Forest Institute. He talks with us, on his way to China, just after the publication of the updated EU bioeconomy strategy.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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UPM’s possible Kotka biorefinery in Finland has its Environmental Impact Assessment

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Source: http://www.upm.com

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for UPM’s possible Kotka Biorefinery in Finland has been completed and given to the authorities for their final conclusions. The UPM Kotka Biorefinery would produce approximately 500,000 tonnes of advanced biofuels made from sustainable raw materials for use in the road transport, marine and aviation sectors. The biorefinery’s products could also be used for replacing fossil raw materials in the chemical industry.

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The updated EU bioeconomy strategy is finally here

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Berlaymont, European Commission’s Headquarter in Brussels

 

The European Commission launched today the updated Bioeconomy Strategy “A sustainable Bioeconomy for Europe. Strengthening the connection between economy, society and the environment”.

The purpose of this update to the 2012 Bioeconomy Strategy is to address global challenges like climate change, land and ecosystem degradation, through a set of 14 concrete actions which will be launched in 2019 at the latest. These actions reflect the conclusions of the 2017 review of the Strategy.

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Braskem is to become a Green Plastic supplier for the Rio de Janeiro-based brand Café Favorito

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Braskem is to become a Green Plastic supplier for the traditional Rio de Janeiro-based brand Café Favorito. The first polyethylene of renewable origin to be produced in the world, the resin will be applied in the 500 g coffee pillow packs.

“We produce over one million metric tons of coffee annually, sold mainly in the Lagos and Serrana regions and in the south of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The use of Green Plastic in our packaging reinforces our effort in the search for sustainable performance,” explained Adriana de Oliveira, Chief Commercial Officer of Café Favorito.

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An interview with Marcel Lubben, Reverdia. “The bioeconomy is a long-term commitment”

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Marcel Lubben

“We expect full support for the bioeconomy in close connection with the circular economy. Together they can tackle two very pressing societal issues i.e. climate change (through lowering carbon footprint) and the plastic waste problem (through collection, reuse and recycling)”. Marcel Lubben, President of Reverdia, the JV between Royal DSM and Roquette which is producing bio-based succinic acid, talks to Il Bioeconomista. In this exclusive interview he talks about Reverdia and his expectations related to the new EU bioeconomy strategy that will be presented next October 22 in Brussels.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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