Developing new kinds of recyclable fibre-based products is the aim of an initiative in Scandinavia, which aims to reduce energy and resource consumption in the forestry and textile industry.

The goal of the Energy First initiative, says VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, is to act as a starting point for an entirely new technology, creating “the conditions for the manufacture of low-carbon, energy-efficient, and recyclable fibre-based products”.

With trends such as the continued growth of global e-commerce, the demand for fibre-based packaging is projected to grow 5–10% annually.¹ It needs to be easy to recycle and have a low carbon footprint. Within non-wovens, used in napkins and wipes for example, VTT said it expects a strong shift away from traditional products (that contain plastic) towards cellulose-based products.

It has a budget of around 20 million euros over the next four years, and consists of several projects, with collaborative research aiming to develop and test commercially viable, sustainable alternatives for cardboard packaging, hygiene products, and non-woven fabrics.

According to VTT, preliminary estimates suggest the new manufacturing process will provide a reduction of up to 90% in water consumption and a significant decrease in carbon emissions. Overall, the goal is to reduce energy consumption by up to 50%.

Products manufactured with the new process are designed to be compatible with existing recycling methods. Furthermore, fibre-based packaging is produced in a way that makes it a sustainable alternative to reusable packaging, said the group. The planned EU packaging and packaging directive requires that both the raw material and the manufacturing process are sustainable, and recyclable bio-based packaging solutions will have to undergo a sustainability assessment.

The project also seeks to redefine the forest industry’s environmental impact and enhance the competitiveness of fibre-based products. For example, by making the products lighter, more products could be produced for consumer use from the same amount of wood, which improves resource efficiency.

“We feel that the Energy First project is one of the first steps in unlocking the full potential of airlaid technology² in sustainable single-use and durable product categories. Anpap³ has set the benchmark for the airlaid industry for the past 40 years, and we have a strong commitment to keep developing the technology to enable the transition to next-generation sustainable products. Compared to wetlaid, airlaid web forming is flexible and consumes dramatically less natural resources, such as water, which reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing and while satisfying the needs of consumers,” says Tuukka Vihtakari, CTO, Anpap.

The initiative is funded by EU, ERDF, VTT and the collaborating companies. The consortium is also engaging with EU projects, such as EU SteamDry, with a total budget of 9.84 million euros over 3.5 years.

Notes
[1] According to data from Statista Market Insights and eMarketer
[2] The term refers to a manufacturing process used to produce nonwoven materials, particularly those made from natural fibres like cellulose, wood pulp, or a mixture of various fibres. This technology involves forming a web of fibres using air as the medium to distribute them, rather than traditional textile processes like weaving or knitting.
[3] A Finnish manufacturer of airlaid machinery

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a Circularity Index that they say provides a comprehensive method to quantify circularity in bioeconomic systems. In a new paper, they outline the method and apply it to two case studies – a corn/soybean farming operation and the entire US food and agriculture system.

“The traditional economic system is linear – we produce, distribute, use, and dispose of products. To increase sustainability, we need to develop a circular economy. Rather than just using natural resources, we must recover, reuse, and recycle waste materials,” said lead author Yuanhui Zhang, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE).

“Circular bioeconomy has become a hot topic in research, but most studies are merely descriptive and there’s no way to measure impacts. To move the technology forward, we need measurements to quantify effects, establish benchmarks, compare approaches, and identify weak spots,” he said.

In the paper, the researchers provide a step-by-step outline of the Circularity Index (CI), which measures circularity on a scale from 0 to 1. Zero means the system is completely linear, and 1 means it is completely circular. The index includes eight categories: take, make, distribute, use, dispose, recover, remake, and reuse. The CI is computed by entering available data into each of these categories.

Zhang and his colleagues demonstrate how to use the CI in two case studies. The first examines nitrogen cycling in a corn-soybean farm in the Midwestern United States. The researchers enter production and output data for a period of 8 years, and compare the effect of two different fertilizer treatments: urea versus manure. They calculate the CI to be 0.687 for urea and 0.86 for manure, indicating the use of manure fertilizer provides a more circular economy.

In the second case study, Zhang and his colleagues look at the U.S. food and agriculture system, focusing on energy use. Drawing on national data from the USDA, EPA, and DOE, they compare the current system with an approach based on the Environment-Enhancing Food Energy and Water System framework, which involves recovery, remake, and reuse of organic waste. They find the existing system has a CI of 0.179, while the EE-FEWS approach would lead to a CI of 0.84.

“Our current production system relies primarily on fossil fuel, with some use of solar and wind energy. But there is very little recovery of biowaste. If we recover food waste and manure and turn it into energy and fertilizer, we can recycle it back to the agricultural systems it originates from. Employing the EE-FEWS framework would greatly improve circularity of the U.S. bioeconomy,” Zhang explained.

The CI is a scalable method that can be used on different resource types and systems, depending on the focus of interest. Resources can be minerals, such as carbon or nitrogen, or non-mineral, such as water or energy. Systems can range from a process or a farm to an industry sector, a national economy, or even the global economy.

“We know it’s important to reduce fossil fuel use, increase renewable resources, and minimize our water consumption. But to do so effectively, we need to know how much, and what the weak links and tradeoffs are. The CI provides a single number that allows you to establish a baseline, compare systems, and determine best strategies for action,” Zhang said.

The CI can serve as an indicator to support policy initiatives such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. It also has potential commercial value; for example, food companies can demonstrate their production circularity to consumers.

The paper, “A scalable index for quantifying circularity of bioeconomy systems,” is published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling [DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107821].

An Australian group is proposing using genetically engineered black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) to address worldwide pollution challenges and produce valuable raw materials for industry, including the USD $500 billion global animal feed market.

In a paper published on 24 July in the journal Communications Biology, scientists at Macquarie University outline a future where engineered flies could transform waste management and sustainable biomanufacturing, addressing multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Synthetic biologist Dr Kate Tepper is lead author of the paper and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Applied BioSciences, Macquarie University.

“One of the great challenges in developing circular economies is making high-value products that can be produced from waste,” says Dr Tepper.

Landfill emitters
An estimated 40 to 70 per cent of global organic waste finds its way to landfills.

“The landfilling of organic waste creates about five per cent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions and we need to get this to zero per cent,” Dr Tepper says.

Organic by-products from sewage treatment – municipal biosolids – can be used as an alternative to synthetic fertiliser to grow crops and close nutrient cycles.

However Dr Tepper notes there are rising concerns about toxic chemicals in waste, including dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

In developing countries, organic wastes dumped in open areas can contaminate water used for drinking or irrigation, attracting pests, spreading disease and degrading natural habitat, and farmers often burn leftover crop parts they can’t use, causing air pollution.

Black soldier flies are already valued in waste management where they consume commercial organic wastes before being processed as ‘insect biomass’ into foods for domestic pets and commercial chicken and fish farmers.

But the Macquarie team believes genetic engineering could extend the usefulness of the black soldier fly, enabling them to turn waste inputs into enhanced animal feeds or valuable industrial raw materials.

The larvae could bio-manufacture industrial enzymes currently for use in livestock, textile, food and pharmaceutical industries and representing a global market worth billions of dollars annually.

The flies can also be engineered to generate specialised lipids for use in biofuels and lubricants, replacing fossil-fuel derived products.

Engineering insects to make industrial enzymes and lipids that are not used in food supply chains will expand the types of organic wastes that can be used, and the research team propose modifying the fly so it can digest contaminated organic wastes, sewage sludge, and other complex organic wastes.

“Even the fly-poo, called ‘frass,’ could be enhanced to improve fertiliser,” Dr. Tepper says. “The flies could be engineered to clean up chemical contaminants in their frass, which can be applied as pollutant free fertiliser to grow crops and prevent contaminants entering our food supply chains.”

Sustainable biomanufacturing
Senior author Dr Maciej Maselko, who heads an animal synthetic biology lab at Macquarie University’s Applied BioSciences, says: “Insects will be the next frontier for synthetic biology applications, dealing with some of the huge waste-management challenges we haven’t been able to solve with microbes.”

Genetically engineered microbes require sterile environments to prevent contamination, along with lots of water and refined nutrient inputs.

“We can feed black soldier flies straight, dirty trash rather than sterilised or thoroughly pre-processed. When it is just chopped into smaller pieces black soldier flies will consume large volumes of waste a lot faster than microbes,” Dr Maselko says.

The researchers suggest genetic engineering could piggyback on the existing framework, elevating the flies from simple waste processors to high-tech biomanufacturing platforms. In the paper the researchers outline a roadmap calling for better genetic engineering tools in key insects.

“Physical containment is part of a series of protections. We are also developing additional layers of genetic containment so that any escapees can’t reproduce or survive in the wild,” Dr Maselko says.

Commercialisation
Macquarie University in partnership with some members of the research team has filed patent applications related to black soldier fly biomanufacturing, already underway through a Macquarie University spin-out company, EntoZyme.

Dr Tepper says that the introduction of genetically engineered insects has potential, not just in the multi-billion dollar waste management market, but also in the production of a range of high-value industrial inputs.

“If we want a sustainable circular economy, the economics of that have to work,” says Dr Tepper.

“When there is an economic incentive to implement sustainable technologies, such as engineering insects to get more value from waste products, that will help to drive this transition more rapidly.”

A new method to extract valuable bio-based chemicals from whisky distillery waste streams could transform manufacturing and be worth up to £90 million in global chemical manufacturing markets.

Scientists from RIPCELL, a chemical manufacturing business, are working with researchers from the University of Aberdeen to demonstrate the feasibility of recovering high-value compounds, such as lactic acid, from pot ale and spent lees – co-products of the first and second stages of the whisky distillation process.

These extracted chemicals have potential applications in sectors including pharmaceuticals, food and drink, and cosmetics, where manufacturing typically depends on unsustainable, petrochemical-derived ingredients.

The project was supported with funding from the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), with samples of waste streams provided by whisky group Chivas Brothers from 12 of its distilleries across Scotland.

The research team developed a process using a separation technique known as liquid chromatography to isolate and extract higher-value acids, initially from pot ale. It has now been adapted to retrieve additional solvents from spent lees.

While residue from pot ale is typically used in low value applications such as animal feeds, spent lees are currently discarded. Up to 10 litres of spent lees are generated for every litre of whisky made, and due to variations in distillery processes, water sources, and raw materials, co-products from different distilleries contain different chemical compounds.

A life cycle analysis of the process was also completed to quantify its environmental impact. The results showed that the bio-based chemicals produced through this method have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to those produced through traditional petrochemical routes. Estimates suggest that on a global scale, the new manufacturing method for target chemicals could reduce industry emissions by 392 million kg of CO₂ equivalent per year.

Following the success of the feasibility study, the next phase for the team will involve scaling up the separation process to prove its viability at an industrial scale.

Dr Eve Wildman, founder of RIPCELL, said: “Around 2.6 billion litres of wastewater is produced from the Scottish whisky industry every year, so the potential of this process is huge. For decades, the majority of these co-products have been used as animal feed, but we have found a new, more valuable option to deal with spent lees that could change the ways in which distilleries manage and process their residues.

“At the same time, this could be transformational for the chemicals industry. By taking a sustainable approach to manufacturing key compounds, rather than using fossil fuels, RIPCELL can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the production process. For every kilo of bio-chemicals produced, we can remove 1.59kg of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.”

Dr Liz Fletcher, director of business engagement at IBioIC, said: “This project is a brilliant example of how we can add economic value by taking a circular approach to co-products and applying biotechnology. For both whisky producers and the chemicals industry, this process marks a significant step forward in reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing. We look forward to supporting RIPCELL throughout its next steps to bring the process closer to commercial application.”

Dr Alan Mccue, senior lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, added: “The idea of utilising wastewater from a traditional industry like whisky production for the recovery of bio-based chemicals is highly innovative. It’s great to see Scottish heritage being linked to sustainable chemical production. The outcomes of this IBioIC funded project are really exciting, and I look forward to supporting RIPCELL in the next stages of its development.”

Biochar has been used to make office items for a Birmingham law firm, in a recent project by Aston University researchers.

Mills & Reeve have kitted out their new city centre building at One Centenary Way with the environmentally-friendly products, while working with local suppliers.

A collection of durable plant and pen pots were made for them from material produced at a pyrolysis demonstrator at Cofton horticultural nursery in the south of the city that is run by Aston University’s Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI).

With its industrial partners EBRI has developed an innovative technology which thermally converts organic waste into three commercially valuable products, biochar, gas and liquids. The unwanted matter includes fallen and diseased trees, sawdust – and even chicken manure.

Biochar, a sustainable form of charcoal, has significant opportunities for reducing the impact of climate change because it can be used for carbon sequestration – the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide. When put in the earth, biochar works to improve the soil and enhances plant growth, and also doesn’t decay over a long period of time.

Tim Miller, project lead of the Biochar CleanTech Accelerator at Aston University, said: “Biochar can be used for a number of things, including 3D printing, as a composite material, and as a way to reduce the carbon impact of cement. We’d love to explore all of these opportunities, but we can’t do it alone which is why we’re excited to be working alongside Mills & Reeve as they move to their new, sustainable office. We hope to work with more local companies in the future to take forward serious propositions for the marketplace.”

The University team sifted down the biochar into a fine powder, mixed it with the resin and left to dry in a mould. The collection was designed by Dr. Maria Pimenta-Ocampo, an environmental engineer who is a research associate for the University’s Biochar Cleantech Accelerator project. Her work currently involves evaluating the environmental impact and carbon sequestration potential of pyrolysis products and analysing the use of biochar to lock carbon in soil and also in alternative materials such as composite resins. 

Neil Pearson, head of ESG and social value at Mills & Reeve, said: “We’ve teamed up with Aston University because we’re very keen on engaging with local organisations in Birmingham that align with our social and sustainability values. We’re really excited about the work that they’re doing, it’s a real market leader in looking at biochar and commercial ways in which biochar can be used.”

SEaB Energy and others enter commercial discussions with Shimizu following UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme reverse pitch

SEaB Energy, the developer of a pioneering anaerobic digestion system that produces energy from organic waste, has won the opportunity to forge a partnership with Shimizu Corporation, one of Japan’s largest civil engineering, construction and architecture companies. Representatives of SEaB Energy are now invited to Shimizu’s NOVARE innovation facility in Singapore to explore collaboration arrangements with the corporation.

This was the outcome of a reverse pitch held in London, involving 10 UK scaleups vying to solve a ‘net zero building’ challenge posed by Shimizu. It was organised by the UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme, which helps high-growth technology companies to explore and secure commercial opportunities in the APAC region.

At the start of the event, representatives from Shimizu set out their plans to collaborate with UK tech companies to advance the corporation’s ‘Vision of 2030’ sustainable business strategy. Each of the 10 companies – carefully selected from among the UK’s leading sustainability tech startups – then presented how its technology could support Shimizu’s vision, before participating in a Q&A session.

Shimizu selected SEaB Energy as the winner because of its innovative, compact, easy-to-install anaerobic digestion systems housed in shipping containers. The systems are already being installed globally, both by SEaB Energy directly and through distribution and licensing agreements.

Sandra Sassow, SEaB Energy’s CEO, said: “We’re thrilled that Shimizu recognised the value creation opportunity of using sustainable energy and reducing CO2 emissions via our waste-to-energy technology. Our various sized platforms and the significant reduction in emissions they deliver will help Shimizu win new construction orders and further promote the use of electricity derived from renewable energy sources. This aligns with the corporation’s ‘Vision of 2030’ to realise a sustainable society.”

Shimizu has also invited three of the other participating companies to progress commercial discussions. They are:

• Faradai: a supplier of artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems for energy and emissions tracking
• Low Carbon Materials: a climate-tech company that develops product innovations for the decarbonisation of emission-intensive construction materials such as concrete and asphalt
• re:sustain: a supplier of an energy optimisation technology that works with any building management system and uses calibrated digital twins to deliver scalable carbon and energy cost savings for commercial buildings.

Daisuke Kato, Head of the Acceleration Group at Shimizu’s NOVARE facility, said: “Our focus on sustainability is strong, especially in Southeast Asia where we have a long history in construction. We were therefore delighted explore the solutions on offer in the UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme’s reverse pitch.

“The event was incredibly insightful and we were impressed by the advanced technologies and expertise showcased by the UK companies in the field of net-zero buildings. They highlighted that UK sustainability efforts are a few steps ahead of Japan, which is valuable knowledge as we strive to close the gap in APAC. It was inspiring to see so many UK tech companies aligned with our goals for a sustainable future in Asia Pacific.”

Dr Lian Hutchings, Head of Growth at Low Carbon Materials, said: “It was an honour to be selected to present our net zero construction solutions to Shimizu. As a climate tech startup with ambitions to expand into new geographical markets, including the APAC region, we very much look forward to continuing our discussions with the corporation.”

The UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme provides free and subsidised support to technology companies aspiring to enter one or more of 11 markets: South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. It is delivered on behalf of the government by international business development consultancy Intralink.

Companies can apply to participate here.

Jeremy Shaw, who leads UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme, said: “Initiatives such as this are just some of the ways the Programme highlights the latest UK technologies to potential customers and partners in Asia Pacific. The fact that Shimizu has decided to continue discussions not just with the winner but with three of the other participating companies is confirmation of the huge interest in UK technology.

“We congratulate SEaB and the other participants and look forward to supporting them on the next stage of their journey into the APAC region.”

A provider of AI-powered sortation at scale for the waste and recycling industry, AMP Robotics is using its technology to extract mixed recyclables and organic material from municipal solid waste (MSW) for further processing at a facility owned by Recycling and Disposal Solutions (RDS) of Virginia (in the US).

This AI-powered MSW facility features an AMP ONE system and is an industry first, currently processing 150 tons per day of local MSW with over 90 percent uptime — described as “an unprecedented level of reliability for mixed waste sorting systems at a scale and footprint that was not previously feasible economically”. Designed to be co-located with landfills and transfer stations, the AMP ONE system separates bagged trash into its component parts of mixed recyclables, organics, and residue. Equipped with this technology, the RDS facility is capable of diverting more than 60 percent of landfill-bound material when paired with organics management and mixed recyclables sorting systems, whether incorporated into a project by AMP or built separately. MSW diversion meaningfully extends the life of landfills, reduces their environmental impact, and keeps disposal costs low.

“The economic and environmental opportunity in extracting value from the municipal solid waste stream is massive, and innovative sortation is key to unlocking this market,” said Matanya Horowitz, AMP founder and CEO. “To move the industry forward, we’ve designed technology that’s resilient to contamination and can more easily go after dirtier material streams. We see the success of the facility in Portsmouth as a blueprint for other municipalities looking to extend the life of their landfills and reach ambitious diversion targets. Given that recycling rates have been stagnant over the last decade, this presents a new opportunity to expand recycling—one that works for existing waste infrastructure assets.”

AMP offers the industry’s most sophisticated AI platform, which can be expanded to all types of material streams, including MSW. The company has a diverse set of sortation technology applications powered by this AI platform, including AMP Jet, which it can extend to sort in new ways to respond to design challenges or to enable new recycling and diversion pathways.

“At RDS, we’ve been early and enthusiastic adopters of advanced technologies to increase recovery and landfill diversion, drive down processing costs for local governments, and generate data for continuous facility improvement,” said Joe Benedetto, president of RDS. “AMP delivers best-in-class sorting solutions, and it was a natural fit to partner on this project and pioneer an economical way of capturing the value in our waste, especially as local communities close their recycling programs due to increasing costs.”

In 2023, RDS completed a new 33,000-square-foot building at its existing site in Portsmouth, which has provided local recycling services since 2005. RDS installed an AMP ONE system and began processing MSW in the facility in late 2023. This project demonstrated the AMP ONE system’s capacity for sorting MSW into salable commodities. AMP and RDS began working together in 2017; RDS also operates facilities in Roanoke, Virginia; Greenville, North Carolina; and Athens, Georgia.

The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) has launched a refreshed Scottish Bioresource Mapping Tool to help more businesses make the case for investing in biotechnology facilities and processes.

The platform is designed to help businesses identify the availability of different feedstocks – from agriculture and forestry waste to food and drink co-products, industrial carbon dioxide and seaweed – that could form the basis of a range of new, greener, bio-based products and processes. Materials that are seen as waste or by-products from one industry could be transformed into high value products including biofuels and bioplastics.

The new Scottish Bioresource Mapping Tool builds on a pilot platform first launched in 2018 as a result of a collaboration between Zero Waste Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and IBioIC. For this latest iteration, Zero Waste Scotland funded work to update data from a wide range of sources to help biotechnology companies and investors identify and harness the potential opportunities that Scotland presents.

The database is believed to be one of only three bioresource tools available worldwide, with researchers and development agencies in Ireland and Andalucia having also developed similar platforms to encourage local biotechnology activity.

Armed with new information about the volume and locations of these important raw materials, companies considering next steps in Scotland can make informed decisions on factors such as the most promising feedstocks to select for scale up or the best location for setting up new facilities. Any companies that are interested in using the tool to gather information are invited to speak to IBioIC directly or may also be referred by their local enterprise agency.

Kim Cameron, senior business engagement manager at IBioIC, said: “It is often said that one industry’s waste is another’s gold, and the Scottish Bioresource Mapping Tool is a great way to connect the people and businesses generating co-products or excess materials with potential users across a range of industries. In the past enquiries have included those from bio-energy companies, drinks producers and insect farmers, highlighting the wide range of possibilities the tool presents.

“With access to this type of information, we hope to encourage more businesses to invest in Scotland’s bioeconomy, safe in the knowledge that the feedstock they require for products and processes is readily available here. Ultimately, the tool helps ensure the by-products produced by multiple industries find more sustainable and high value uses.”

Amanda Ingram, Bioeconomy Partner at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “The Bioresource Mapping Tool enables enterprises to locate potential feedstocks for bio-based processes that have local availability, are economically viable and offer resilience against future resource shocks. We are delighted to provide updated data for the tool that will support the development of higher value opportunities for waste and by-products and enable a more circular bioeconomy in Scotland.

“By better utilising food and drink by-products alone, it is estimated that £500-£800million per year could be achieved for Scotland’s economy. The environmental benefits are also evident; better use of existing materials means we can reduce demand for natural resources and use renewable materials to create sustainable opportunities for food, feed, materials and energy, thereby increasing resource resilience, reducing emissions, and helping businesses progress their net zero targets.”

For more information, visit: www.ibioic.com/scottish-bioresource-mapping-tool

Scottish technology-led producer of green chemicals (including biofuels), Celtic Renewables, has launched its latest crowdfunding campaign with Crowdcube aiming to raise a minimum of £2.75 million to boost operational capacity and scale revenue growth.

Celtic Renewables is the first in the world to produce and supply green chemicals to lower the carbon footprint of thousands of products like cosmetics, paints and household cleaners, and has recently sent its first production of bioacetone and biobutanol to distribution partner, Caldic, a company that creates bespoke solutions for the food, pharma, personal care and industrial markets.

Funds raised from the Crowdcube campaign will be used to increase the global distribution of green chemicals, broadening the reach of products across multiple sectors where replacement of incumbent fossil fuel derived chemicals is most needed.

Celtic Renewables has plans to build a further four biorefineries in the next four to five years with a combined product output of around 32,000 tonnes per year.

Celtic Renewables makes its green chemicals at its flagship biorefinery in Grangemouth, Scotland. Their patented technology converts low-value by-products, residues and waste from a range of industries, such as food and drinks production, into high-value green chemicals.

These green chemicals, namely bioacetone, biobutanol and bioethanol, are chemically identical to and can directly replace their gas and oil-derived equivalents (acetone, butanol and ethanol).

Mark Simmers, CEO of Celtic Renewables, says: “The ultimate goal of this crowdfunding campaign is to allow us to scale what we are doing which will allow us to supply green chemicals to a long list of potential customers who are ready and waiting.

“The timing is right and many companies and industries are eager to make the change to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Our technology offers a commercially proven and green alternative for the production of key chemicals and will lower the carbon footprint of everyday products like skin creams, nail varnish, household cleaning products, paints, medicines and vitamins. We have the momentum and potential to accelerate the defossilisation of the chemical industry and make everyday life more sustainable for consumers.”

The production of acetone, butanol and ethanol contributes significantly to CO2 emissions in the chemical sector, accounting for 18% of total industrial CO2 emissions globally. Celtic Renewables’ production of bioacetone, biobutanol and bioethanol generates up to 70% less carbon emissions compared to petrochemical alternatives.

Simmers adds: “We are working closely with our strategic partner Caldic to develop a list of initial customers for our green chemicals. The challenge is that the demand is huge and our Grangemouth plant will only supply a small fraction of what we really need to produce, so the pressure is on to grow the business and build bigger production plants.”

Global markets for acetone and butanol are estimated at $6.63 billion and $16.5 billion respectively and growing, according to Future Market Insights. Celtic Renewables’ green chemicals have extensive applications spanning multiple industries and can completely displace petrochemical equivalents with an immediately addressable market of over $2 billion.

Bettina Brierley, Product Group Leader Caldic UK, says: “We have been waiting for a solution like Celtic Renewables for a long time. We don’t need to change consumer habits, but instead we can improve the products we make by ensuring they are not derived from fossil fuels.

“This is the first real innovation that I have seen in the chemical space that is truly green, not just greenwashed. The beauty of the product is that the chemicals are made from residue materials, not food competing crops. Our customers which include manufacturers of personal care and homecare products, are very excited by this.”

Simmers adds: “The other great news is that the raw material that we use to make our biochemicals – the residues, by-products or waste – is almost unlimited. The key is to build the next few plants and demonstrate their performance. Our model is scalable globally across industry sectors. We will continue to look at commercial opportunities and there are some really interesting chemical groups that in the future, also could be made biologically.”

Celtic Renewables says its mission is to foster a more sustainable chemical industry and has so far raised in excess of £55 million funding from multiple sources which was used to build the biorefinery in Grangemouth. With large commercial contracts in place, Celtic Renewables is now raising investment to scale up production to meet demand.

Researchers have discovered a way to transform a significant waste output from soy biodiesel plants into a valuable resource. The team behind it has developed a process to convert matter organic non-glycerol (MONG), a byproduct of biodiesel production, into copolymers suitable for 3D printing filaments.

The global demand for renewable energy sources has led to an increase in biodiesel production, resulting in a significant amount of waste byproducts such as MONG. Traditionally, MONG has been landfilled, posing environmental challenges and economic inefficiencies. The study presents a two-fold solution: a method to stabilize MONG for use in 3D printing and a reduction in the synthetic polymer content of natural fibre composites (NFC).

The researchers characterized soy MONG and evaluated its potential as a copolymer to produce 3D printing filaments. They focused on improving the thermal stability of MONG through two pretreatments: acid treatment and a combination of acid and peroxide. The latter resulted in a stabilized paste with decreased soap content, increased crystallinity, and the formation of low molecular weight small chain fatty acids, making it an ideal candidate for copolymerization with thermoplastic polymers.

The study’s findings indicate that acid and acid + peroxide treatments effectively split soap, reduce water solubility, and increase glycerol content in MONG. The treatments also facilitated the oxidation of fatty acids and the formation of small chain fatty acids, which are more suitable for 3D printing applications. Notably, the acid + peroxide treatment led to an increase in formic acid and oxirane concentration, suggesting successful epoxidation, a key factor for improving the thermal stability of MONG.

The researchers also conducted a comprehensive analysis of the MONG’s physicochemical properties, fatty acid profile, and thermal stability. The results were promising, showing that treated MONG could be a viable alternative to synthetic polymers in NFC for 3D printing. The study concludes that the utilization of MONG in 3D printing not only adds value to a biodiesel waste product but also contributes to the development of sustainable and carbon-neutral composites.