Afyren and Südzucker reached an unprecedented long-term agreement on the supply of sugar beet co-products as feedstock for Afyren Neoxy, the zero-waste, low-carbon biorefinery that will begin producing seven 100% biobased organic acids at industrial scale in early 2022. The partnership is in accordance with both companies’ sustainability strategies. Using these co- products to produce bio-based organic acids provides a high level of revalorization and does not affect the food chain.
Novamont, a world leader in the world bioplastics market headquartered in Novara (Italy), and Italian utility Iren signed a three-year collaboration agreement in the field of integrated waste collection systems, the aim of which is to reduce non-recyclable waste at source and fully implement the objectives of the circular bioeconomy.
The two companies have agreed to develop specific projects for the optimised management of compostable products and packaging, to be recycled and recovered together with the organic fraction of solid municipal waste in Iren’s treatment plants.
Braskem is expanding its production capacity of green ethylene, the main feedstock derived from sugarcane ethanol which is used in the production of renewable resins. These materials can therefore claim to capture CO2, a greenhouse gas. This raw material is produced at the company’s plant in Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, whose capacity will be increased from the current 200 kton/year to 260 kton/year. The expansion project, budgeted at US$61 million, will be rolled out in 2021 and should be concluded in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Univar Solutions Inc., a global chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, and Novozymes, the world leader in biological solutions, signed an agreement, effective April 1, to expand the existing partnership into the U.S. and Canadian homecare, industrial cleaning, and beverages markets. The ongoing and expanding relationship between the two companies demonstrates a shared commitment to providing customers with a portfolio of ingredients designed to help improve product performance and enable solutions that have the potential to bring more sustainable products to the homecare, industrial cleaning and beverages markets through better performing formulations.
DMC Biotechnologies has successfully demonstrated full commercial scale (85m3 fermentation at EW Biotech, Germany) for its first product, the amino acid L-alanine. The scale-up results identically tracked the performance at bench and pilot scales, further validating the predictability and scalability of DMC’s Dynamic Metabolic Control technology, inform the US company. Importantly, commercial performance metrics were demonstrated, meaning that no further strain improvements are required to achieve the target selling price.
Finnish biofuel producer and oil refiner Neste has chosen the Dutch port of Rotterdam as the location for its next renewable products refinery. Neste said the new plant will be around the same size as the 1.5 billion euro ($1.79 billion) refinery expansion it is currently building in Singapore, which the company described as its biggest investment so far.
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 49% (for men it is 75%). The freedom to work – by choice, in conditions of dignity, safety and fairness – is integral to human welfare.
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.
Ford Motor Company and McDonald’s USA joined forces to give vehicles a caffeine boost by using part of a familiar staple in the morning routine, coffee beans, in vehicle parts such as headlamp housing. Every year, millions of pounds of coffee chaff – the dried skin of the bean – naturally comes off during the roasting process. Together, Ford and McDonald’s can provide an innovative new home to a significant portion of that material. The companies found that chaff can be converted into a durable material to reinforce certain vehicle parts. By heating the chaff to high temperatures under low oxygen, mixing it with plastic and other additives and turning it into pellets, the material can be formed into various shapes.
The European Commission proposed yesterday to set up 10 new European Partnerships between the European Union, Member States and/or the industry. The goal is to speed up the transition towards a green, climate neutral and digital Europe, and to make European industry more resilient and competitive. The EU will provide nearly €10 billion of funding that the partners will match with at least an equivalent amount of investment. This combined contribution is expected to mobilise additional investments in support of the transitions, and create long-term positive impacts on employment, the environment and society.
Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and leading producer of biopolymers in the world, headquartered in Brazil, launched Dansko’s new line of EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) clogs made with over 50% of Braskem’s renewable I’m green™ carbon negative EVA biopolymer.
