Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, made the decision to build the world’s most modern sawmill in Rauma, Finland. The value of the investment is approximately 200 million euros. Construction will begin in the spring of 2020 and the production at the sawmill is set to begin during the third quarter of 2022. The coronavirus outbreak may have an impact on the schedules.
Nouryon is expanding its partnership with Sumitomo Chemical to include a new plant Sumitomo is building at its site in Oita, Japan. The new plant will supply a key raw material used for Nouryon’s Perkadox 14 organic peroxide. Perkadox 14 is an essential ingredient in the manufacture of many elastomeric products, including shoe soles, yoga mats and other rubber goods.
Preem, the largest fuel company in Sweden, with a refining capacity of more than 18 million m³ of crude oil every year, has chosen Haldor Topsoe’s HydroFlex™ renewable fuel technology to produce clean renewable diesel and jet fuel at their Gothenburg refinery in Sweden.
Clariant’s Additives business and Floreon-Transforming Packaging Limited signed a new collaboration to further extend the performance properties and market potential of biopolymers, whilst preserving their environmental benefits. By integrating the benefits of Clariant’s additives with Floreon’s proprietary material solutions, the collaboration aims to open up additional possibilities for plastic manufacturers and brand owners to consider biopolymers as a viable, low carbon footprint alternative to fossil-based plastics for both single-use and durable applications. Markets set to benefit from the new enhanced grades include rigid and flexible Packaging, Electrical & Electronic equipment (E&E), Hygiene products, Consumer goods and Automotive.
A new demo plant in Örnsköldsvik will be the first in the world to produce a 2G platform for sustainable fuels, chemicals and materials, coined GOLDILOCKS®, from pulp and paper industry residues. The plant will be built by the Swedish chemical and clean tech company Sekab together with the Dutch oil company Vertoro.
We looked at the images broadcast on television from Wuhan as if they came from another planet. Until February 21, with the first case of contagion in Italy, the coronavirus seemed something that could not concern us. Then everything changes from February 23. Suddenly we plunged in fear, sometimes in panic, but above all we realized in one fell swoop that the human being is part of nature, even if at some point of the evolutionary history it seemed to break away from it to dominate it and break the balance on which it is based. The coronavirus and the disease that derives from it, called covid19, puts us again and dramatic ally in front of the limits of nature, our limits and our role on earth. It puts us in all its urgency in front of the issue of our development model, the interdependence of the globalized world, the solidarity between people and between countries, between North and South of the world.
Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, Sabic, a global leader in the chemical industry, and UPM Biofuels, a leading producer of sustainable raw materials, signed a partnership that will help to reduce the environmental footprint of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber. The collaboration will see Dyneema® transition to bio-based feedstock leveraging SABIC’s ground-breaking TRUCIRCLETM solutions for certified renewable products. As such, DSM is delivering on its commitment to improve the sustainability footprint of Dyneema®, moving towards a circular, bio-based economy.
The Bioeconomy is led by women. This year, as every year, for the International Women’s Day, we dedicate a tribute to all women who are making the bioeconomy happen all around the world. With their huge competences and their infinite passion, they are the stars of the world bioeconomy. Our best and warmest wishes to all women.
This is just a partial list.
Ylwa Alwarsdotter, Executive VP Sekab (Sweden)
Iris Aquilina Anderson, leader of the Bioladies Network (UK)
Catia Bastioli, CEO at Novamont (Italy)
Véronique de Bruijn, CEO at Photanol (Netherlands)
Joanna Dupont at EuropaBio (UE)
Carina Håkansson, DG at The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (Sweden)
Sarah Hickingbottom, CEO at BioVale (UK)
Jennifer Holmgren, CEO at Lanzatech (USA)
Virginia Klausmeier, CEO at Sylvatex (USA)
Christine Lang, chairwoman at German Bioeconomy Council (Germany)
Electra Papadopoulou, co-founder Greek Bioeconomy Forum (Greece)
Theodora Retsina, CEO at American Process (USA)
Kathryn Sheridan, CEO at Sustainability Consult (Belgium)
Mariagiovanna Vetere, Global Public Affairs at NatureWorks (USA)
Mari Walls, President and CEO at Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE)
Alex Ward, President at Origin Materials (Canada)
Marie Wheat, Industry Economist at USDA BioPreferred Program (USA)
Eleni Zika, Head of Programme at BBI JU (EU)
Thailandese bio-based chemical company Advanced Biochemical Co., Ltd. announced a capacity increase at its plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, which will now produce 120,000 mt/year of bio-based epichlorohydrin (ECH) – an increase of 20,000 mt/year. Permission for this increase was granted by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand.
Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring and Valmet initiated a joint project for the development of a novel wood-based 3D product to replace similar products made out of fossil resources, especially in consumer products like packaging. The joint project focuses on fine-tuning properties of the new environmentally-friendly material and on developing a highly automated and digitalized manufacturing technology. Utilising Metsä Group’s current industrial side streams as the raw material of the new product will also be assessed.
