Investments
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BASF, Avantium in Synvina dispute
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I hate posting this kind of news but I’m still a reporter at heart so I just hope that these two companies will resolve their issues about Synvina, the joint venture formed by BASF and Avantium. The JV aims to set up a 50 ktpa FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) reference plant at BASF’s site in Antwerp,…
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Toronto to produce biogas from organic waste
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The City of Toronto, in partnership with Canada’s largest natural gas distributor, Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., will begin installing new equipment at the Dufferin Solid Waste Management Facility later this year. The new equipment will allow the City and Enbridge to transform the raw biogas produced from processing Toronto’s Green Bin organics into renewable natural…
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Neste aims to use waste plastic feedstock for fuels and plastics
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Neste says it is exploring ways to introduce liquefied waste plastic as a future raw material for fossil refining. The aim of the development project is to proceed to industrial scale trial during 2019. The company’s target is to process annually more than one million tons of waste plastic by 2030. In Europe, some 27…
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RSB, QRFA partner on biofuel certification
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The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and the Queensland Renewable Fuels Association (QRFA) signed an MOU partnership agreement to support the certification of biofuels and endorsement of future low carbon fuel projects domestically in Queensland, Australia. The collaboration will assist with bringing together the biofuel value-chain process to align with certification. Australia is reportedly well-placed to…
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Avantium to start Zambezi pilot project in July
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Avantium announced that it will officially open a pilot biorefinery for its Zambezi technology in Delfzijl, Netherlands next month. Opening ceremonies will take place in Amsterdam on 10 July and in Delfzijl on 13 July. The Delfzijl plant will pilot Avantium’s technology to convert plant-based non-food feedstock to high purity industrial sugars and lignin. The industrial sugars are used…
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IKEA, Neste collaborate on bio-polypropylene
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While development of fermentation-based polypropylene has mostly disappeared, several companies have long been producing polypropylene based on biomass balance approach. Neste and its partner IKEA recently announced their plan to start a pilot production of bio-based polypropylene plastic using renewable raw materials such as used cooking oil or vegetable oils. Neste’s green diesel biorefinery also…
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Verdezyne exit confirmed
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It was disheartening to hear about Verdezyne, which recently and abruptly closed down its operations a few days ago. This news recently followed our grim news about BioAmber filing for bankruptcy and Rennovia also exiting the market this year. I was attending Nova Institut’s Biomaterials conference in Cologne, Germany last week when I heard the rumor…