Economy

Covestro launches innovative and eco-friendly recycling process

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Bioeconomy every day @ BioBased World 2015 in Frankfurt am Main

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.

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GFBiochemicals acquires Segetis and expands in the United States

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Mathieu Flamini and Pasquale Granata with Sean Penn at COP21 in Paris. Source: GFBiochemicals

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.

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Comet Biorefining announces its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility in Sarnia

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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.

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Versalis and XiMo AG advance Second-Generation Elevance biorefinery technology

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Versalis' plant in Porto Marghera, Venice (Italy)
Versalis’ plant in Porto Marghera, Venice (Italy)

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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Mitsui & Co. steps up its bet on BioAmber’s bio-succinic acid plant in Sarnia

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BioAmber has been listed on the NYSE since May 2013

Mitsui & Co., one of the most diversified and comprehensive trading, investment, and service enterprises in the world (with 140 offices in 66 countries) and BioAmber’s partner in the Sarnia bio-based succinic acid plant, is investing an additional CDN$ 25 million in the joint venture for 10% of the equity, increasing its stake from 30% to 40%. Mitsui will also play a stronger role in the commercialization of bio-succinic acid produced in Sarnia, providing dedicated resources alongside BioAmber’s commercial team. BioAmber will maintain a 60% controlling stake in the joint venture.

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Cool Terra earns the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label

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Tom Vilsack, US Agriculture Secretary

Cool Terra earns the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label. The product developed by Cool Planet – Cool Terra Engineered Biocarbon – fulfills all federal purchasing requirements for biobased products through the USDA BioPreferred program.

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KaiCell Fibers launches advanced wood fibre venture in Finland

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Finnish bioeconomy confirms its dynamism. KaiCell Fibers has  embarked  on  a  venture  to  construct  a  state-­of-­the-art biorefinery mill as  core component in an industry park projected to house several downstream operators drawing on wood as primary raw material.

The project is based on an alliance between Kainuun Liitto (The Regional Council of Kainuu) and NC Capital  Partners. KaiCell will tap into the Kainuu region’s extensive and currently under-­utilised fibre wood resources, and incorporate BAT (best available technology) to ensure high value-­added  products, maximum raw material efficiencies and minimum environmental loads throughput the process. Production is planned to commence by 2020.

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Novozymes changes organizational structure

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Novozymes, Danish industrial biotech giant, announces the formation of three divisions: Household Care & Technical Industries, Agriculture & Bioenergy and Food & Beverages.

​The aim of the organizational change – the company writes in a note – is to enhance Novozymes’ ability to deliver more innovation to customers with more speed and commercial impact.

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In Northern Russia a plant to produce 100,000 tonnes of bioethanol per year from wood waste

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Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin

The Komi Republic in Northern Russia could host a plant that would produce 100,000 tonnes of bioethanol per year from wood waste. The proposal, coming from Egregor Biotech and Evolution Group, was presented last week, Komiinform news agency reported. Over 15 million rub (196,000 US dollars and 177,000 euro) have already been spent on the project. The total investment required is estimated at 136 million euro. A process to create a pool of investors is underway, with different options for the realisation of the project being considered, including a public private partnership.

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Gevo and Porta to construct multiple isobutanol plants in Argentina using corn as a feedstock

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Patrick Gruber, Ceo of Gevo
Patrick Gruber, Ceo of Gevo

Gevo, a leading renewable technology, chemical products, and next generation biofuels company, announced yesterday that it has entered into a license agreement and a joint development agreement with Porta Hnos (“Porta”), one of the leading alcohols companies in Argentina, producing almost 100 million liters annually, to construct multiple isobutanol plants in Argentina using corn as a feedstock.

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