Versalis – Eni’s chemical company and a shareholder of Novamont (36%) – and Mater-Bi – a company controlled by Investitori Associati II and NB Renaissance – yesterday signed an agreement for Versalis to acquire the remaining 64% of Novamont’s shares currently held by Mater-Bi. Novamont is a leading international company in the field of chemistry from renewable sources. Next steps and the timing of closing are subject to approval by the competent authorities.
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.
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.
Avantium, a Dutch leading technology company in renewable chemistry, and Origin Materials, a leading sustainable materials company based in the USA, joined forces to accelerate the mass production of FDCA and PEF for use in advanced chemicals and plastics. The partnership aims to bring the technology platforms of both companies together in order to produce FDCA from sustainable wood residues on an industrial scale. FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) is the key building block for the biopolymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate) – a 100% plant-based, fully recyclable plastic material, with superior functionality and a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional plastics. PEF can be used in a wide range of applications such as bottles, packaging, films, fibers and textiles, which represent major end-markets.
CJ Biomaterials, Inc., a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang and leading producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and NatureWorks, an advanced materials company that is the world’s leading producer of polylactic acid (PLA), are collaborating on the development of sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ Biodegradable Polymers and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ biopolymers. The two companies will develop high-performance biopolymer solutions that will replace fossil-fuel based plastics in applications ranging from compostable food packaging and food serviceware to personal care, films, and other end products.
“The recognition of our sector through the application of specific NACE codes is an important element as it would allow a better measurement in the statistical field and the possibility of addressing specific legislative measures, such as financing or the creation of specific EER codes”. To say this – in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Giulia Gregori, Strategic Planning and Corporate Communication manager at Novamont, the Italy-headquartered company which is leading the way in the world bioplastics sector.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
Be Good Friends (BGF) and TotalEnergies Corbion entered a long-term collaborative arrangement for application development and the supply of Luminy® PLA. Both leading bioplastic companies are focused on the development and production of biodegradable materials and products.
With the aim of determining the sortability of PLA from municipal mixed plastic waste, TotalEnergies Corbion and TOMRA Recycling conducted a sorting test in August 2022. The outcome confirmed, as has been confirmed many times before – the French-Dutch company claims – that sorting PLA from other plastics waste is easy and straight-forward.
The market for bioplastics used in packaging is anticipated to reach USD 16.6 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 9.5 percent from 2013 to 2021, and is now valued at USD 10.5 billion in 2022. According to the FMI analysis, the market for bioplastics used in packaging would grow by 1.7 times its value from the base year during the course of the forecast year, creating lucrative investment prospects for the industry.
Avantium N.V., a leading technology company in renewable chemistry, signed an offtake agreement with AmBev, the Brazilian brewing company, part of the AB InBev Group, the largest beer company in the world. AmBev will purchase PEF (polyethylene furanoate) – a 100% plant based and recyclable alternative to plastic – from Avantium’s Flagship Plant and will use it to make bottles for its soft drinks portfolio.
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