Yesterday, in an event under the umbrella of the Austrian EU-presidency, the “FTP (Forest-based Sector Technology Platform) Vision 2040 of the European Forest-based Sector” was launched. The venue, the very prestigious Marmorsaal in the premises of the Federal Austrian Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism, was fully packed with representatives from some 20 European countries.
CropEnergies will pause production in its plant in Wilton from the end of November 2018 on
It’s a bad time for the bioenergies companies in UK. Due to the difficult market conditions, CropEnergies will pause production in its plant in Wilton, North East England, operated by Ensus from the end of November 2018 on.
Cargill and DSM established the Joint Venture Avansya to reduce calories in their offerings
Cargill and Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, established a new joint venture, Avansya, to significantly reduce calories in their offerings to consumers. Together, the companies will produce highly sought-after, sweet-tasting molecules, such as steviol glycosides Reb M and Reb D through fermentation, giving food and beverage manufacturers an even more scalable, sustainable and low cost-in-use solution than if these same molecules were extracted from the stevia leaf.
Unilever started a strategic partnership with Bio-on to make the personal care sector greener
Unilever and Bio-on started a strategic partnership to develop, produce and sell personal hygiene and care products that guarantee a smaller or no environmental impact. Using patented bio-technologies for natural, biodegradable microplastics production, Unilever and Bio-on are taking an important step towards building a more sustainable economy and more responsible consumption in the personal care sector.
Phillips 66 and REG joined forces for a large-scale renewable diesel plant on the U.S. West Coast
US companies Phillips 66 and Renewable Energy Group, Inc. joined forces for the construction of a large-scale renewable diesel plant on the U.S. West Coast. The plant would utilize REG’s proprietary BioSynfining® technology for the production of renewable diesel fuel. Planned feedstocks include a mix of waste fats, oils and greases, including regionally-sourced vegetable oils, animal fats and used cooking oil.
A new partnership in the bioeconomy: Neste and Clariant signed an agreement
Neste, the Espoo-based world’s leading provider of sustainable renewable diesel and an expert in delivering drop-in renewable chemical solutions, and Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, signed an agreement for a new partnership to join forces in developing and making new sustainable material solutions accessible to a variety of industries.
Nouryon, Tata Steel and the Port of Amsterdam join forces to develop a green hydrogen cluster
Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Tata Steel and the Port of Amsterdam have joined together to study the feasibility of a large green hydrogen cluster in the Amsterdam region. The three parties consider green hydrogen as vital for reaching climate targets and building a more circular economy, for example by combining it with emissions from steel manufacture to make new products.
Avantium and BASF are in a dispute about the future of their Synvina joint venture
“Avantium is a big story in the bioeconomy, but the relationships with big companies as investors are not easy”. To say it at the Sustainable & Circular Bioeconomy Conference in Brussels on October 22 was Jos Peeters, managing partner, founder and director of Capricorn Venture. Indeed, Avantium and BASF are in a dispute about the future of their Synvina joint venture. The companies disagree on the timing for the fulfilment of the criteria to invest in the commercial-scale plant for FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid).
World’s largest pension fund GPIF of Japan supports the Climate Action 100+ Initiative
World’s largest pension fund GPIF (Government Pension Investment Fund) of Japan is now supporting the Climate Action 100+ Initiative, adding further significant momentum in global growth of the investor-led corporate engagement initiative.
An interview with Dirk Carrez, BIC. “In 2050, we will live in a Circular Bio-Society”
“The Bio-based industry grows really strong in confidence. In just a few years, it moved mountains by creating new value chains. This means new partnerships between sectors that never worked together before”. Dirk Carrez, executive director of BIC, which represents the private sector in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the European Commission, also known as the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU), talks to Il Bioeconomista. In this long interview with us he talks about the main achievements of the bio-based industry in Europe and its new vision 2050. “Only with a renewed BBI JU will we be able to effectively work towards realising the Circular Bio-Society”, he says.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
