Arguably, the high-value-low-volume biobased sector offers sugar companies great diversification choices. Driven by synthetic biology, the technology will become pervasive in most sectors. As Boston Consulting Group points out, “By the end of the decade, syn-bio could be used extensively in manufacturing industries that account for more than a third of global output – a shade under US$30 trillion in terms of value.”1
The R&D round-up products investigated in 2022 (table 1) is not exhaustive – sourced from reported news pieces. The biobased product sector encompasses not only the production of substitute petrochemicals but also food, feed, speciality ingredients, cosmetics, fragrances and flavours, and biomaterials. Molecular farming is also gaining traction, whereby plants are exploited as ‘bioreactors’ or ‘biofactories” for producing valuable molecules. Sugar and cellulosic feedstocks are central to the production of many biobased products, which the sugar industry generates in plentiful supply.
Table1. Biobased products – R&D roundup 2022
| Company/Institution |
Product |
Feedstock |
Process conversion |
|
Platform chemicals |
|
|
| Lakril Technologies |
acrylics |
corn |
fermentation |
| Avantium |
furandicarboxylic acid |
High fructose syrup |
fermentation |
| Technical University of Munich |
Succinic acid |
glucose |
fermentation |
| Global Bioenergies |
isobutene |
Sugar |
fermentation |
| LanzaTech + Northwestern University + US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
acetone and isopropanol |
CO2 and CO |
fermentation |
| Washington State University + Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
‘high value products’ |
Lignin |
bio-mimetic enzyme |
| Bluestem Biosciences |
‘chemicals’ |
Sugar |
fermentation |
| Toray |
Adipic acid |
Cellulosic sugars |
fermentation |
| LanzaTech |
Ethylene |
CO2 |
biocatalysis |
| BASF |
Ethylene |
Biomass |
biocatalysis |
|
|
|
|
|
Food, feed, speciality ingredients |
|
|
| University of Helsinki + VTT |
Ovalbumin (chicken egg white powder) |
glucose |
fermentation |
| Wacker + Biosyntia |
Biotin (vitamin B7) |
sugars |
fermentation |
| University of York |
Citric acid |
Cane bagasse |
fermentation |
| Royal DSM |
Vitamin A |
Sugar |
fermentation |
| Biosyntia |
vitamin B7 |
Sugars |
fermentation |
| Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology |
lutein |
Glycerol |
enzymatic |
| British Sugar + Pond Technologies |
Animal feed |
spirulina |
Additive manufacturing |
| Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), |
medium-chain triacylglycerols |
marine microalgae |
Additive manufacturing |
| Federal University of São Carlos |
Slow release fertilizers |
cellulose |
Additive manufacturing |
|
|
|
|
|
Cosmetics, fragrances and flavours |
|
|
| Arkema |
oleochemicals |
Castor bean |
proprietary |
| Phytolon + Ginkgo Bioworks |
Food colours |
sugar |
fermentation |
|
Biomaterials |
|
|
| Bucha Bio |
Biotextile |
Nanocellulose |
fermentation |
| Infinited Fibre Company |
Textile fibre |
Textile waste |
recycling |
| Hampshire County Council, UK |
Bollards, biopoymers |
Cane bagasse? |
|
| Solvay + Trillium |
Acrylonitrile (for carbon fibre) |
Plant-based glycerol |
thermochemical |
| Mitr Phol + Marubeni |
bioplastics |
Sugarcane, cassava |
fermentation |
| Wageningen |
Bitumen |
lignin |
|
| Ashland |
Thickener (hydroxyethylcellulose) |
cellulose |
|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Cellulose-epoxy composite |
cellulose |
Additive manufacturing |
| Goodyear Tire & Rubber |
rubber |
dandelion |
Plant extraction |
| University of British Columbia + Joint Bioenergy Institute (USA) |
Acholetin (polymer) |
Sugar |
fermentation |
| Sapporo Breweries |
denim |
Brewery waste |
Additive manufacturing |
| Danish Technological Institute + CelluComp |
Packaging material |
Sugar beet pulp |
Additive manufacturing |
| MycoWorks + Nick Fouquet |
Leather alternative |
Mycelium |
fermentation |
|
|
|
|
|
Molecular farming |
|
|
| Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology |
strychnine |
tobacco plants |
|
| Lund University, Sweden, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, China, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA, ISCA Inc, Brazil and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
Moth pheromones |
camelina |
|
Table 2 is a snapshot of investment activity in the sector over the past year. Again, it is neither exhaustive nor complete, gleaned from reported news in the global media. As the process conversion technologies mature and companies pursue reduced carbon emissions strategies, commercial-scale production of biobased products is undoubtedly ascending.
|
Table 2. New build activity in the biobased products sector in 2021
|
| Where |
Investment
US$/€
|
Biorefinery capacity
|
Product/s |
| Poland |
US$100 mln |
30,000 t |
propylene glycol |
| Comments |
Orlen Poludnie, belonging to the PKN Orlen Group, has opened the plant in Trzebinia. The construction began in 2019. |
| France |
€420 million |
|
|
| Comments |
French government is investing in the sector. Of the €420 million, €300 million will go to the renewable sector mobilising technologies, of which €200 million will be for the production of sustainable aviation fuels, €100 million biobased products projects, plus €70 million for upstream research, €30 million towards technology transfer and €20 million towards training |
| |
€80 million |
16,000 t |
Organic acids |
| Comments |
Afyren has inaugurated its first commercial-scale plant, Afyren Neoxy, in the city of Carling Saint-Avold. The plant will carboxylic organic acids containing 2-6 carbon atoms include acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, isovaleric acid and caproic acid. These acids have several applications in various sectors: human food, animal feed, flavours and fragrances, lubricants, materials science and life sciences. It will be operating at full capacity by 2024. |
| Slovakia |
|
|
rhamnolipids |
| Comments |
Evonik is investing a three-digit million-euro sum in constructing a plant at its site in Slovenská Ľupča, scheduled for completion by the end of 2023. Rhamnolipids will be manufactured via a fermentation process using a genetically modified Pseudomonas putida plus sugar. |
| USA |
US$65 million |
|
Green cement |
| Comments |
The biotech start-up Biomason secured the funding from venture capitalists to expand its operations. The company employs natural microorganisms to grow biocement in ambient temperatures without emitting carbon dioxide. |
| |
|
|
|
| Brazil |
|
|
MEG (mono ethylene glycol) and MPG (mono propylene glycol). |
| Comments |
Braskem and the Japanese trading firm Sojitz are partnering to produce and market MEG and MPG. Subject to the conclusion of technology development in 2022, the business plan includes constructing three industrial units, with the start-up of the first plant slated for 2025. |
| Japan |
|
|
polyamide 6,6 |
| Comments |
Asahi Kasei is partnering with the biotech start-up Genomatica to commercialize the production of biobased nylon. |
|
US$120 mln |
|
palm oil alternatives |
| Comments |
Kao Corporation is partnering with Genomatica to scale latter’s biobased alternatives to palm kernel oil, joining Unilever as a founding member. Few technical details of the project have been released. |
| Mexico |
|
|
Indigo dye |
| Comments |
Archroma, deploying Stony Creek’s IndiGold plant-based indigo dye process, will produce the first batches at its plant in Salvatierra, Mexico. The partnership hopes to produce enough indigo for more than 60 million pairs of jeans per year by 2027. |
| South Korea |
|
|
polyoxytrimethylene glycol |
| Comments |
SK Chemicals has commenced production of biopolyol PO3G (polyoxytrimethylene glycol) at its plant in Ulsan with a capacity of several thousand tonnes which could expand given demand. PO3G is produced via a fermentation platform, with corn grains/starch being the feedstock. The brand name of this material is ECOTRION. |
| Germany |
€750 mln |
|
polyurethane |
| Comments |
Dongsung Chemical is partnering with Germany’s UPM Biochemical to produce polyurethane based on UPM Biochemicals biobased monoethylene glycol (MEG), UPM BioPura™. UPM is building a commercial-scale biorefinery at Leuna in Saxony-Anhalt, expected to be operational end of 2023. |
|
|
|
|
| Slovenia |
|
|
nylon-6 |
| Comments |
Genomatica and its partner, the Italian nylon maker Aquafil successfully completed the first demonstration of multiton production of biobased nylon 6. The plant is located at an Aquafil facility in Slovenia |
Endnote
1 https://www.bcg.com/publications/2022/synthetic-biology-is-about-to-disrupt-your-industry
Trends in biobased products R&D and new build activity in 2022
Arguably, the high-value-low-volume biobased sector offers sugar companies great diversification choices. Driven by synthetic biology, the technology will become pervasive in most sectors. As Boston Consulting Group points out, “By the end of the decade, syn-bio could be used extensively in manufacturing industries that account for more than a third of global output – a shade under US$30 trillion in terms of value.”1
The R&D round-up products investigated in 2022 (table 1) is not exhaustive – sourced from reported news pieces. The biobased product sector encompasses not only the production of substitute petrochemicals but also food, feed, speciality ingredients, cosmetics, fragrances and flavours, and biomaterials. Molecular farming is also gaining traction, whereby plants are exploited as ‘bioreactors’ or ‘biofactories” for producing valuable molecules. Sugar and cellulosic feedstocks are central to the production of many biobased products, which the sugar industry generates in plentiful supply.
Table1. Biobased products – R&D roundup 2022
Table 2 is a snapshot of investment activity in the sector over the past year. Again, it is neither exhaustive nor complete, gleaned from reported news in the global media. As the process conversion technologies mature and companies pursue reduced carbon emissions strategies, commercial-scale production of biobased products is undoubtedly ascending.
Table 2. New build activity in the biobased products sector in 2021
US$/€
Endnote
1 https://www.bcg.com/publications/2022/synthetic-biology-is-about-to-disrupt-your-industry
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