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AkzoNobel, Solarzyme expand joint development deal
F O C U S Laboratory and Nature Works will receive up to $2.5 M each for the development of processes to produce muconic acid and lactic acid, respectively, from biogas. A 3.1 M grant will be given to the American Process. It will be tasked to work on converting cellulosic sugars into solvents. The department is also investing up to $3.3 M for the development of a process for the production of plasticizers and other chemicals from biomass. The work will be done by the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Commercial production of ethanol into transportation fuels by Vertimass will be funded with $2.0 M. Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 20 Oct 2014, 92 (42), 16 (Website: http://www.cenonline.org) © American Chemical Society 2014
COMPANY NEWS New Air Products lab will help oil recyclers optimize hydrotreatment processes Air Products is building a hydrogen lab at its corporate headquarters in Allentown, PA, US, that will support the fast growing oil recycling industry. A key feature of the new lab is a hydrotreatment unit capable of performing high pressure and high temperature hydrogenation reactions. Air Products will use the new hydrogen lab, which is scheduled to be operational in 3Q 2015, to help oil recyclers optimize their hydrotreatment processes. Air Products’ new hydrotreatment unit has been designed to test the hydrogenation of various feedstocks over continuous flow fixed-bed catalytic reactors. The company will use the hydrotreatment unit to evaluate for its customers the impact of feed quality, catalysts, and other operating parameters, on product quality, throughput, and process economics. Original Source: Air Products, website: http://www.airproducts.com/ (22 Oct 2014) © Air Products and Chemicals Inc 2014
AkzoNobel, Solarzyme expand joint development deal Netherlands-based major AkzoNobel and US bioproduct company DECEMBER 2014
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Solarzyme have entered into a multiyear supply deal for the supply of up to 10,000 tonne/y of tailored algal oils, which the firms are currently developing. The oil will substitute for petroleum and palm oil-derived chemicals. Original Source: Chemistry and Industry (London), Sep 2014, 78 (3), 10 (Website: http://www.soci.org/) © Society of Chemical Industry 2014
Slovak Republic gains cellulosic ethanol Beta Renewables has made a supply agreement with Energochemica, a firm based in Slovakia. Beta Renewables will help to construct a 55,000 tonne/y ethanol plant, which will utilize the company’s Proesa technology (converting biomass to fermentable sugars). All the needed enzymes for the process will be supplied by Novozymes. The facility is expected to start operating in 2017. Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 13 Oct 2014, 92 (41), 15 (Website: http://www.cenonline.org) © American Chemical Society 2014
Biofuels: French CEA opens Syndiése platform On 6 Oct 2014 the French commissariat for atomic and renewable energy (CEA) opened the Syndiése-BtS technology platform in Bure-Saudron, France. This site is shared by the La Meuse and HauteMarne regions. The new biomass pretreatment platform is the first phase of the Syndiése programme which aims to build a pre-industrial demonstration unit for second generation biofuels made using Biomass to Liquid technology. The demonstration unit will have 10 tonne/y biomass treatment capacity. It will mainly use lignocellulose biomass feedstock (wood, straw and green waste). This material has the advantage of not being used in human foodstuffs. In order to develop a complete chain of processes and economic testing, CEA is beginning with a single project. This is the development of technology to convert biomass into Syngas: Biomass to Syngas (BtS). For this project, the CEA is working closely with Air Liquide. The technology platform will be accessible to other academic bodies and industrial companies
involved in the development of equipment or biomass pretreatment technologies. The initial Syndiése BtS project represents a €24 M investment. In total, the Syndiése programme is expected to cost €250 M. Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 13 Oct 2014, (692), (Website: http://www.industrie.com/chimie/) (in French) © ETAI Information 2014
Deinove teams up with MBI to evaluate its industrial biomass process Deinove and MBI have announced the formation of a technological partnership designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the DEINOL technology for producing biofuels based on lignocellulosic biomass (2G biofuels). MBI is both a premier multidisciplinary centre sought out by industry partners for its unique derisking capabilities and a not-forprofit inspired by a mission to enhance quality of life. MBI applies its derisking approach to the development of biofuels, chemicals, food, and feed from renewable, rather than fossil, raw materials and is known for its exceptional record of successful university and corporate collaborations, including major industrial groups such as DuPont, Cargill (NatureWorks), Novozymes; and multiple start-ups such as Genomatica, OPX Biotechnologies, and Verdezyne. MBI, in close collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU), has developed a transformational technology, called Afex. This technology has the potential to double worldwide output from existing grain-crop production while providing a sustainable, affordable source of food, feed, fuels, and chemicals. It is an ammoniabased pretreatment technology for cellulosic biomass. DEINOL is a production system aimed at converting pretreated industrial biomass into ethanol. The DEINOL solution’s major industrial interest lies in the ability of Deinococcus bacteria to break down the complex sugars contained in lignocellulosic biomass and then to convert them into ethanol, all in a single operation, replacing the microorganisms that are traditionally used and a large part of the enzyme treatment that precedes fermentation. Original Source: BioSpace.com, 2014. From BioSpace.com, 15 Oct 2014, (Website: http://www.biospace.com)
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COMPANY NEWS New Air Products lab will help oil recyclers optimize hydrotreatment processes Air Products is building a hydrogen lab at its corporate headquarters in Allentown, PA, US, that will support the fast growing oil recycling industry. A key feature of the new lab is a hydrotreatment unit capable of performing high pressure and high temperature hydrogenation reactions. Air Products will use the new hydrogen lab, which is scheduled to be operational in 3Q 2015, to help oil recyclers optimize their hydrotreatment processes. Air Products’ new hydrotreatment unit has been designed to test the hydrogenation of various feedstocks over continuous flow fixed-bed catalytic reactors. The company will use the hydrotreatment unit to evaluate for its customers the impact of feed quality, catalysts, and other operating parameters, on product quality, throughput, and process economics. Original Source: Air Products, website: http://www.airproducts.com/ (22 Oct 2014) © Air Products and Chemicals Inc 2014
AkzoNobel, Solarzyme expand joint development deal Netherlands-based major AkzoNobel and US bioproduct company DECEMBER 2014
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Solarzyme have entered into a multiyear supply deal for the supply of up to 10,000 tonne/y of tailored algal oils, which the firms are currently developing. The oil will substitute for petroleum and palm oil-derived chemicals. Original Source: Chemistry and Industry (London), Sep 2014, 78 (3), 10 (Website: http://www.soci.org/) © Society of Chemical Industry 2014
Slovak Republic gains cellulosic ethanol Beta Renewables has made a supply agreement with Energochemica, a firm based in Slovakia. Beta Renewables will help to construct a 55,000 tonne/y ethanol plant, which will utilize the company’s Proesa technology (converting biomass to fermentable sugars). All the needed enzymes for the process will be supplied by Novozymes. The facility is expected to start operating in 2017. Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 13 Oct 2014, 92 (41), 15 (Website: http://www.cenonline.org) © American Chemical Society 2014
Biofuels: French CEA opens Syndiése platform On 6 Oct 2014 the French commissariat for atomic and renewable energy (CEA) opened the Syndiése-BtS technology platform in Bure-Saudron, France. This site is shared by the La Meuse and HauteMarne regions. The new biomass pretreatment platform is the first phase of the Syndiése programme which aims to build a pre-industrial demonstration unit for second generation biofuels made using Biomass to Liquid technology. The demonstration unit will have 10 tonne/y biomass treatment capacity. It will mainly use lignocellulose biomass feedstock (wood, straw and green waste). This material has the advantage of not being used in human foodstuffs. In order to develop a complete chain of processes and economic testing, CEA is beginning with a single project. This is the development of technology to convert biomass into Syngas: Biomass to Syngas (BtS). For this project, the CEA is working closely with Air Liquide. The technology platform will be accessible to other academic bodies and industrial companies
involved in the development of equipment or biomass pretreatment technologies. The initial Syndiése BtS project represents a €24 M investment. In total, the Syndiése programme is expected to cost €250 M. Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 13 Oct 2014, (692), (Website: http://www.industrie.com/chimie/) (in French) © ETAI Information 2014
Deinove teams up with MBI to evaluate its industrial biomass process Deinove and MBI have announced the formation of a technological partnership designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the DEINOL technology for producing biofuels based on lignocellulosic biomass (2G biofuels). MBI is both a premier multidisciplinary centre sought out by industry partners for its unique derisking capabilities and a not-forprofit inspired by a mission to enhance quality of life. MBI applies its derisking approach to the development of biofuels, chemicals, food, and feed from renewable, rather than fossil, raw materials and is known for its exceptional record of successful university and corporate collaborations, including major industrial groups such as DuPont, Cargill (NatureWorks), Novozymes; and multiple start-ups such as Genomatica, OPX Biotechnologies, and Verdezyne. MBI, in close collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU), has developed a transformational technology, called Afex. This technology has the potential to double worldwide output from existing grain-crop production while providing a sustainable, affordable source of food, feed, fuels, and chemicals. It is an ammoniabased pretreatment technology for cellulosic biomass. DEINOL is a production system aimed at converting pretreated industrial biomass into ethanol. The DEINOL solution’s major industrial interest lies in the ability of Deinococcus bacteria to break down the complex sugars contained in lignocellulosic biomass and then to convert them into ethanol, all in a single operation, replacing the microorganisms that are traditionally used and a large part of the enzyme treatment that precedes fermentation. Original Source: BioSpace.com, 2014. From BioSpace.com, 15 Oct 2014, (Website: http://www.biospace.com)
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