An exclusive interview with Nick Smith, Head of Development and Commercialisation at Circa Group

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“When we consider that nearly all of the materials and products in society today are essentially 100% based on petrochemicals and that the chemical sector is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, half of that from the fossil-based feedstock used to produce the chemicals, we see that the world is not only dependent on petroleum but also on petrochemicals. To transition to a lower carbon economy, we need renewable chemicals just as much as renewable energy.” Nick Smith, Head of Development Commercialisation at Circa Group, talks to Il Bioeconomista. In this exclusive interview, he talks about the ReSolute plant in Eastern France, the new partnerships and the next steps of the Australian company and the role of the bioeconomy to make industries more sustainable.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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MAIRE Tecnimont Acquires Conser to Strengthen Energy Transition Portfolio

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MAIRE Tecnimont S.p.A., a leading player in the engineering and construction of plants in the energy, infrastructure, and petrochemical sectors, announced the completion of the acquisition of an 83.5% stake in Conser.

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Fragrance & Beauty: Amyris closed strategic transaction with Givaudan

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Amyris, Inc., a US leading synthetic biotechnology company, completed the previously announced strategic transaction with Givaudan SA for the worldwide exclusive licensing of certain cosmetic ingredients, including Neossance® Squalane, the highest performant emollient, Neossance® Hemisqualane, the plant-based silicone alternative, and CleanScreen™, the sustainable sun protector.

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Negotiations in final stages for Versalis’ acquisition of Novamont, leader in the chemicals from renewables

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Adriano Alfani, CEO Versalis

Versalis, Eni’s chemical company and 36% shareholder of Novamont, and Mater-Bi, a company controlled by Investitori Associati II and NB Renaissance, shareholder of Novamont’s remaining 64%, announce exclusive negotiations to finalise the acquisition by Versalis of Novamont’s entire share package.

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L’Oréal and Geno create bio-based alternatives to key ingredients in beauty products

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Christophe Schilling, CEO of Genomatica during his speech at the Grand Opening of Mater Biotech’s plant in Bottrighe di Adria, Italy

L’Oréal invested in a venture led by Geno, the California-headquartered biotechnology company, to create sustainable alternatives to key ingredients in beauty products. The French multinational company will be a founding member of the venture alongside Unilever and Kao.

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Avantium signed an offtake agreement with Kvadrat for the development of PEF for interior textiles

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Avantium’s pilot plant in the Nerherlands

Avantium N.V., a leading technology provider in renewable chemistry, signed an offtake agreement with Kvadrat A/S, a leader in design innovation, producing quality contemporary textiles and textile related products for architects, designers, and private consumers across the world.

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Neste, Airbus, Safran and Microflite jointly operated Australia’s first helicopter flights using SAF

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Source: Airbus

Neste, Airbus, Safran Engines and Microflite, a leading Australian helicopter operator, have jointly operated Australia’s first helicopter flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). On this demonstration flight, an Airbus H130 helicopter powered by a Safran Arriel 2D engine used blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supplied by Neste.

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Ortholite and Novamont joined forces for the creation of the world’s first circular foam material solution for footwear

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Glenn Barrett and Catia Bastioli at Novamont in Novara

OrthoLite, the global leader of sustainable, performance and comfort insoles and footwear materials solutions, and Novamont, the international leader in the development, production and eco-design of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics and biochemicals, joined forces for the creation of OrthoLite Cirql™, the world’s first circular foam material solution for footwear. 

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Fulcrum BioEnergy’s UK Waste-To-Fuels Project Awarded £16.8 Million Grant from the UK Department for Transport Advanced Fuels Fund

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Fulcrum BioEnergy, Ltd. – the United Kingdom subsidiary of Fulcrum BioEnergy, a US-headquartered clean energy company pioneering the creation of renewable, drop-in transportation fuels from landfill waste – received a grant of approximately £16.8 million, USD $20.2 million, from the UK Department for Transport Advanced Fuels Fund. The grant, which runs through to 2025, will support development of Fulcrum NorthPoint, a residual waste to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility which will be located at the Essar Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire in North West of England. Funds from the grant will be utilized to fund engineering activities for the plant, which is expected to have the capacity to transform about 600,000 tonnes of residual waste into approximately 100 million liters of low-carbon SAF per year when it enters operations in 2027.

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International Women’s Day: our tribute to all women who are making the bioeconomy happen

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), around the world finding a job is much tougher for women than it is for men. When women are employed, they tend to work in low-quality jobs in vulnerable conditions and there is little improvement forecast in the near future. The current global labour force participation rate for women is close to 46% (for men it is 71%, according to the International Labour Organization). The freedom to work – by choice, in conditions of dignity, safety and fairness – is integral to human welfare. 

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