BioAmber, a leader in renewable chemistry, announced opening of world’s largest succinic plant in Sarnia, Canada, that was built with Mitsui & Co and uses biotechnology to produce sustainable chemicals from sugar.
Technology
UPS signed agreements for up to 46 million gallons of renewable fuels over the next three years
United Parcel Service, the world’s largest package delivery company, has signed agreements for up to 46 million gallons of renewable fuels over the next three years. The company, also known as UPS, says the deal represents a 15-fold increase over its prior contracts and make it one of the largest users of renewable diesel in the world.
The agreements with three leading suppliers of renewable fuels, secure access to an advanced renewable diesel fuel in order to meet the company’s objectives for alternative fuel utilization. Neste, Renewable Energy Group and Solazyme will supply renewable diesel to UPS to help facilitate the company’s shift to move more than 12 percent of its purchased ground fuel from conventional diesel and gasoline fuel to alternative fuels by the end of 2017.
Lodi to host the fifth edition of the Italian forum on industrial biotech and bioeconomy
Lodi will be the Euro-mediterranean capital of the bioeconomy for a couple of days. The Italian Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy (IFIB) goes to the little town near Milan from 24 to 25 September 2013 at the Auditorium of the Popular Bank of Lodi, an architectural complex designed by the famous Italian archistar Renzo Piano.
Invista and Plaxica collaborate on bio-derived lactic acid technology
Invista’s technology and licensing business – Invista Performance Technologies (IPT) – and Plaxica, a chemical technologies company focused on the development of technology for the production of low cost lactic acid from biomass (founded in 2008 as a spin-out from Imperial College, London), have entered into a collaboration that is expected to accelerate the commercialisation of Plaxica’s technology.
Under the agreement, in which Invista will have an option for an equity stake in Plaxica, Invista will provide Plaxica engineering, technical and commercial support from its global technology licensing organisation. The two companies will work together to develop and commercialise Plaxica’s lactic acid technology, which the companies believe will offer substantial cost and performance benefits to licensees in the polylactic acid and bio-propylene glycol value chains.
Bio-on and Cristal Union build France’s first facility for the production of PHAs bioplastic
An agreement signed yesterday by Italian biotech company Bio-on and Cristal Union will see France’s first facility for the production of PHAs bioplastic from sugar beet co-products.
The two companies, operating in sustainable biochemistry and sugar, alcohol and bioethanol production, will work together to build a production site with a 5 thousand tons/year output, expandable to 10 thousand tons/year.
Reverdia joins European sustainable packaging initiative
Reverdia, a joint venture between Royal DSM and Roquette Frères dedicated to be the global leader in the market for sustainable succinic acid, has joined the consortium ADMIT BioSuccInnovate, an innovative Climate-KIC initiative funded by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), along with the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University and other European partners. The Consortium will explore with CIMV, a biorefining company, the use of locally-available lignocellulosic feedstock, such as wheat straw or miscanthus to produce bio-based, biodegradable plastic packaging for consumer markets in association with UK retailer Waitrose and food tray producer Sharpak.
France goes green: Paris adopted the law on energy transition and green growth
Yesterday, the French parliament adopted the law on energy transition and green growth proposed by Ségolène Royal, Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.
The new law creates the opportunities to introduce biobased, compostable plastics to selected types of packaging as well as fruit and vegetable bags.
GFBiochemicals has started commercial production at its levulinic acid plant in Caserta
Biobased chemical company GFBiochemicals has started commercial production at its 10,000 MT/a capacity levulinic acid plant in Caserta, Italy. The announcement was made at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Montréal (Canada). GFBiochemicals is the first company to produce levulinic acid at commercial scale directly from biomass.
A prototype of the first all-biobased PET bottle showcased by The Coca-Cola Co. at Expo 2015
The bioeconomy is a great protagonist in Milan, at Expo 2015, a world-class exhibition celebrating sustainable innovation. The breakthrough bottles use BioFormPX® produced at Virent’s Madison, Wisconsin demonstration plant, are showcased as part of The Coca-Cola Company’s pavilion. BioFormPX paraxylene was used in the world’s first demonstration scale production of a PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based materials.
EuropaBio and Smithers Rapra unveil the agenda for EFIB 2015 in Brussels
EuropaBio and Smithers Rapra unveil the agenda for the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy (EFIB) 2015. Taking place on 27-29 October 2015 at Square, Brussels, EFIB combines high-level discussions on business and policymaking and is the perfect setting for businesses looking to benefit from the next wave of activity in Europe.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 