The study will determine the optimal size of a recovery system that would be the most energy-efficient combined with the bioproduct mill, as well as the cooling and logistical requirements of the system.

The goal is to use the electricity, heat, and steam generated in the bioproduct mill as efficiently as possible so that no waste heat is generated.

This work follows on from the carbon capture study launched in 2023. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture using an amine solution is an existing proven technology that has been used for decades around the world.

However, combining this technology with a pulp or bioproduct mill is progressive.

After the investigation with ANDRITZ, the project will proceed to the pilot phase in Metsä Group’s mill area in Rauma in 2025.

Wood-based CO₂ to replace fossil raw materials

If carbon capture proves viable, a new high-volume wood-based raw material will emerge for the forest industry.

Our goal at Metsä Group is to process northern wood into increasingly valuable products. If implemented, carbon dioxide capture would open up opportunities for a significant new chemical industry in Finland and boost the Finnish hydrogen economy, said Sari Pajari-Sederholm, EVP Strategy at Metsä Group.

Metsä Group generates about 12 million tonnes of wood-based CO₂ annually, which could be used as a raw material for fossil substitutes as the related technology and markets develop.

For example, renewable hydrogen and wood-based CO₂ could be used to produce synthetic methane and methanol which in turn could be used as raw materials in the chemical industry.

The investigation by ANDRITZ and Metsä Group is pioneering work in carbon dioxide capture and the first step towards the production of renewable fuels from wood-based carbon dioxide. Efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are increasing the demand for renewable fuels, which can be met by the side streams from bioproduct mills, said Klaus Bärnthaler, VP of Sales and Business Development, Carbon Capture at ANDRITZ.

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The recently signed agreement to design a biogas plant at Perstorp’s industrial park is a step towards the goal.

The plant’s capacity is planned to be 130 GWh of biomethane aka renewable natural gas (RNG) and 17,000 tonnes of liquid carbon dioxide (LCO₂) per year and is expected to be completed in 2027.

Biogas is an important piece of the puzzle in Perstorp’s efforts to switch to renewable and recycled raw materials, so contributing to increased production of this important raw material is something we are very happy about. We believe that biogas production in Sweden needs to be increased fivefold to satisfy the industry’s needs, and this initiative is a step on the way, said Michael Cronqvist, Site Manager at Perstorp.

The planning process is considering the possibility of connecting the plant to the gas grid to distribute the gas to western Sweden and northern Europe.

We are very pleased to be able to take another step towards our long-term goal and have the opportunity to contribute to the green transition within the industry sector. Perstorp is a pioneer within the Swedish industrial sector as an advocate for biogas, and we are proud to be able to take the next step in this project, said Michael Wallis Olausson, VP of Growth at Biokraft.

The plant will use approximately 300,000 tonnes of substrate per year, of which a large majority is manure and other residues from agriculture and the food industry.

The same amount of processed biofertilizer will also leave the plant and go back to agriculture, where it can supplement or replace fossil fertilizer and contribute to the green transition.

New site

Previously, the biogas plant in Perstorp was planned for another site, however, after positive dialogues with both residents, the municipality, and Perstorp, this possibility within Perstorp’s industrial park was identified.

Perstorp municipality is a very suitable place to build a biogas plant. It is close to northern Europe, has good road connections, and is located in a landscape where there is good access to manure and organic waste from surrounding farms. In the dialogues we had prior to the design of our original site, Perstorp’s industrial park was highlighted as an opportunity and we are happy about that today. Now we have the opportunity to build a larger facility with better scalability and significantly better infrastructure. We have the residents of Perstorp to thank for that, ended Michael Wallis Olausson.

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That adds up to a job multiplication factor of 12. For comparison’s sake, the job multiplication factor for the sector that includes solar photovoltaics (PV) is 6.50 and the multiplier for the sector that includes wind turbines is 3.73.

Providing new impetus for President Biden’s National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative launched in June 2023, the report illustrated state-by-state gains linked to the transformation of renewable biomass into new products.

And most importantly for policymakers, the report explains why, “A considerable competitive and policy advantage of these industrial bioeconomy jobs is their tie to U.S. soil, both literally and figuratively—these jobs are here and stay in the U.S.”

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Scheduled to be commissioned in 2026, the plant will have the capacity to produce tannins for tanning millions of square metres of leather.

This investment decision fits well with our overall ambition to increase the added value from every tree and thus contribute to the profitability of our members’ forest estates. Developing more environmentally friendly alternatives by making additional products from the forest is an excellent example of how we use our experience, knowledge, and innovation expertise to make the most of the forest’s resources, explained Lotta Lyrå, CEO of Södra.

Since 2006, Södra Innovation, a business area within the member-owned forest group, Södra, has been exploring how tannins found in the bark of trees can be efficiently processed and used as a tanning agent.

Using bark for tanning is not new, but Södra is now industrializing the process in which the tanning substance is leached from the bark and turned into a product for tanning leather.

With this new patented process, we can now make a product from an, until now, unused resource. A product that can be used in a completely different industry and support the leather industry in its transition to more sustainable tanning methods, said Catrin Gustavsson, Business Area Manager at Södra Innovation.

The post Södra to invest in bark-based tanning agent production appeared first on Bioenergy International.

It is made from renewable ethanol produced by a method called Conventional Alcohol Deoxygenation and Oligomerization (CADO), a technology invented at ORNL.

Energy-dense renewable hydrocarbon

Upgrading ethanol using CADO resulted in a more energy-dense hydrocarbon product that can be blended at higher quantities without changes to car and truck engines.

According to Vertimass, the use of the blendstock could eliminate 560 billion pounds of new carbon dioxide (CO₂) accumulation in the atmosphere as it replaces a portion of the fossil fuels required for conventional gasoline production.

After licensing the technology, Vertimass collaborated with ORNL, DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), and others, to optimize CADO, test it under varying conditions, analyze the techno-economic and life-cycle sustainability of the process, and develop data for commercialization.

Further technology development

Vertimass is also refining the technology to produce renewable propane and chemical feedstocks for other products like plastics, nylon, paints, and detergents.

The company has entered into an agreement with UGI Corporation to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and bioLPG, with a goal of 20 production plants over 15 years.

The project was supported by the BioEnergy Science Center at ORNL, which is funded by BETO, the DOE Biological and Environmental Research program, and ORNL’s Laboratory-Directed Research and Development program.

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The production of packaging containing material derived from chemical recycling also promotes more efficient resource management, contributing to a marked decrease in virgin resource use and aligning with Versalis’ circular economy and sustainability goals.

Circularity is one of the pillars of our strategy and we are committed to developing complementary technologies in the area of mechanical and chemical polymer recycling. Diversification of raw materials allows us to offer the market low-carbon solutions, making sustainable use of resources a reality, partly thanks to supply chain collaborations such as this innovation with our business partner Crocco, commented Adriano Alfani, CEO of Versalis.

Chemical recycling can regenerate plastics back to a virgin state, ensuring compliance with the high purity and safety standards required by legislation for materials intended for food contact.

This new technology for the production of safe and efficient recycled packaging opens up important new frontiers for the circular economy in the highly regulated food industry. We are proud to have started this Made in Italy supply chain with Versalis, said Renato Zelcher, CEO of Crocco.

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It is a cutting-edge technology that uses microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, or fungi to produce proteins, enzymes, and other molecules used in industry and is particularly suited to innovation in the agri-food and materials sectors.

Although fundamental research has made considerable progress, biotechnologies must now be developed on a larger scale.

Establish an industrial and technology platform

With an investment of €16 million in the first phase, the industrial and technological platform will be located in Clermont-Ferrand within the Parc Cataroux Center for Sustainable Materials, an innovation accelerator supported by Michelin.

The Michelin group is pleased to announce the creation, with its partners, of the Biotech Open Platform – a unique tool that will enhance the development of bio-sourced materials, a key challenge for the industry of tomorrow. Located in Auvergne, it exemplifies Michelin’s unflagging commitment to developing innovation and the regions where the Group operates, said Florent Menegaux, President of the Michelin Group.

The Biotech Open Platform is also supported by several public and private institutions: the University of Clermont Auvergne, the company Greentech, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Clermont Auvergne Métropole.

Crédit Agricole Centre France is taking steps to support transformation and innovation in the region. By contributing to the Biotech Open Platform, we are helping to develop a new bio-based sector based in Clermont-Ferrand and also adding to the value and attractiveness of the region. This will also help provide opportunities and synergies to the start-ups in our Innovation Village, also in the Parc Cataroux, said Frédéric Baraut, CEO of Crédit Agricole Centre France.

The Biotech Open Platform’s ambition is to accelerate the development of precision fermentation by enabling the scale-up of innovative products and processes already tested in the laboratory.

We are enthusiastic about this new partnership with companies that are at the heart of French life. For us, as an American start-up, the development of the new Biotech Open Platform will enable us to accelerate the scale-up and commercialization of new products leveraging our transformative fermentation technology, said Kenny Erdoes, CEO of DMC Biotechnologies.

By 2025, the project plans to install an initial demo-scale production line, including a fermenter and purification equipment. Additional equipment will be installed in the following years, including a second production line.

This ramp-up will enable the platform to meet the scale-up needs of its founders and to gradually open it up to other companies facing the challenge of scaling up in the industrial biomanufacturing sector.

At Danone, we have always been focused on investing in the future of food, and this partnership is the next step in this journey. We look forward to working with our partners to develop cutting-edge fermentation technologies that will accelerate innovation, health benefits, and decarbonization in the food industry. We are proud to be part of this collective effort and to strengthen our contribution to meet the challenges facing the industry today, said Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Danone.

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Aromatics are essential for producing everyday products like insulating foams, coatings, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, batteries, and pharmaceuticals, and will now have a sustainable alternative to fossil-based
sources, presenting a major opportunity for circular business models.

Scale-up technology

As a leading technology developer since 2012, Groningen-based BioBTX aims to scale up its revolutionary technology at the PETRA Circular Chemicals Plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands.

The PETRA plant will convert 20,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste annually into renewable aromatics, replacing fossil resources and recycling low-value plastic waste into high-value chemicals.

Once production is proven, the company intends to roll out the technology to chemical industry customers worldwide.

New and existing investors

The €80 million investment round includes €42 million in equity from new shareholders Invest-NL, Infinity Recycling, and Covestro, alongside existing shareholders including Carduso Capital, NOM, and Groninger Groeifonds.

Additional funding comprises €15 million in debt financing from the Polestar Capital Circular Debt Fund and €4 million from the Province of Groningen, along with a €14 million grant from the Dutch Government via RVO, and other subsidies.

Invest-NL’s investment is partly backed by InvestEU, a European Commission program that supports initiatives aligned with EU policy priorities.

According to the company, securing such an amount with new partners mentioned above is impressive, given the current investment climate, and highlights the confidence in BioBTX’s innovative approach.

We are extremely proud to welcome this unique consortium of investors and finance providers. A milestone like this is only achieved when parties come together to contribute to a greater goal. This funding is a crucial step in creating a sustainable pathway for the chemical industry – and we are excited to take the lead from Groningen, said Ton Vries, CEO of BioBTX.

The post BioBTX secures funding for first commercial-scale renewable aromatics plant appeared first on Bioenergy International.

Lallemand will integrate the business and associated employees in its Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) business unit based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (WI). As of June 1, all business activities have been taken over by Lallemand.

LBDS is a leading global supplier of fermentation ingredients and technical solutions, and this acquisition demonstrates LBDS’s commitment to the fuel ethanol and alcohol industries.

LBDS has partnered with BASF’s bioenergy business since 2017, jointly developing the expression of gluco- and alpha amylase enzymes in bioengineered yeast, now widely used in the North American ethanol production market.

We see the capabilities of BASF’s bioenergy team and its Spartec® products and pipeline technologies as highly complementary with ours. By combining resources and R&D programs, we will be even better placed to meet our global customers’ requirements, said Angus Ballard, President and General Manager of LBDS.

BASF remains focused on its enzyme activities in the animal feed and detergent markets.

It will continue to provide agronomic solutions for farmers to produce low-carbon intensity crops for the bioenergy industry.

Lallemand is the best owner of the bioenergy enzymes business. Their dedication to the biofuel industry, along with their complementary portfolio and global presence, will create new opportunities for growth, said Daniel Wilms, VP of Strategy, Innovation & Sustainability at BASF’s Nutrition & Health division.

Both parties have agreed not to disclose the financial and commercial terms of the agreement.

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When no longer fit for use, tyres are liquefied by means of chemical recycling and then processed into base chemicals and further into polycarbonates of high purity.

These can then be used in various automotive applications, from parts of headlamps to radiator grilles.

Circularity requires cooperation, and this cooperation with our partners Neste and Borealis is a testament to the possibilities at our disposal. We are creating options to turn discarded materials from cars into new car parts again. With that, we are supporting our automotive customers and addressing an increasingly prominent question discussed across the value chain: How to match high-performance materials with recycled content? Projects like this can be the answer, said Guido Naberfeld, SVP, Head of Sales and Market Development Mobility at Covestro.

First products already available

As part of the collaboration, Neste turns liquefied discarded tyres into a high-quality raw material for polymers and chemicals manufacturing and supplies it to Borealis.

Borealis will then process the Neste-produced raw material into base chemicals phenol and acetone, which are supplied to Covestro. Covestro can use these materials to make polycarbonates.

The share of recycled content is attributed via the mass balancing approach all the way to the final products using ISCC Plus certification.

We are demonstrating the importance of value chain cooperation to give new value to waste. We are proud that Borealis, in collaboration with Neste, is able to play a role in this project, providing more sustainable solutions for polymer applications for Covestro and its customers, said Thomas Van De Velde, SVP of Base Chemicals at Borealis.

The first products based on the collaboration are already available as each party has manufactured the first batch of their respective contribution to the project.

Aside from polycarbonates, the project partners may also consider polyurethanes as a possible end product, which could also find its way into parts of the interior of a car.

The companies emphasize that the potential to scale up these types of developments should be considered when setting ambitious targets for future EU regulations, such as the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR).

This project can serve as a blueprint when it comes to establishing circularity in the field of plastics in cars. It shows how low-quality waste materials can be turned into very high-quality plastics. This is good news for the polymers and automotive industries as well as for the environment, said Jeroen Verhoeven, VP of Value Chain Development for polymers and chemicals at Neste.

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