#8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM

“IT’S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE DONE WHEN

WE START TO REIMAGINE WASTE AS AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE”

HOW BBI JU ARE BUILDING THE PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP EUROPE ACHIEVE ITS BIO-BASED POTENTIAL.

NEW REPORT SHINES A LIGHT ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRANDS AND BIO-BASED MATERIALS.

BIO-BASED RUBBER TO GIVE “OPTIMAL BOUNCE” TO OFFICIAL BALL OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2018.

PROJECT FOCUS: EXTRACTING HIGH VALUE PRODUCTS FROM SUGAR BEET PULP.

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE…

ALL ABOARD THE LONDON BUSES POWERED BY COFFEE BEANS!

http://www.bioserie.com/

07 09

14

12

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BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM 2

CONTACT US:

CONTENTS04Editor’s Welcome

05News In Brief

07How London’s coffee drinkers are helping bio-based fuel to power their buses.

08Construction begins on first wood gasification plant in the Netherlands at the Port of Amsterdam.

09Building the partnerships to help Europe achieve its bio-based potential.

12Project focus: Extracting high value products from sugar beet pulp.

13New report shines a light on the relationship between brands and bio-based materials.

14Synthetic biology breakthrough could ignite cheaper biofuel production.

15Bio-based rubber to give “optimal bounce” to official ball of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

16The Last Word with… Tom Beardslee, Vice President of Research and Development at Verdezyne.

CLICK ON TITLE TO GO TO ARTICLE

EDITOR:Luke UptonLuke@BioBasedWorldNews.com@Bio_BasedWorld

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BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM 4

WELCOMEIn a world where each week seems to bring new scandals to fresh industries, standards of behaviour in public office in several countries have collapsed and discourse in now played out against a backdrop of angry and emotive social and traditional media there are a decreasing number of people that are widely respected. We here in the United Kingdom are lucky to have one – Sir David Attenborough the 91 year old broadcaster and naturalist, whose latest BBC nature documentary series, Blue Planet II has probably done more to highlight the problem of plastic in our seas to the public than anything else.

Filming took place over the course of more than four years; involving 125 expeditions across 39 countries producing more than 6,000 hours of underwater dive footage from over an estimated 4000 dives. And the team behind the programme, say there was rarely a time when they were filming that they didn’t come across plastic in the sea.

Such was the effect it had on the team, they devoted a whole episode to how plastic affects sea creatures. It included startling footage of a hawksbill turtle getting caught up in a plastic sack. Fortunately this turtle was able to escape with the help of a camera man, but most animals are not that lucky.

“I have seen dead birds with their legs entangled in plastic bags, so they could have died from not being able to feed or fly. I saw a dead leatherback turtle that died from entanglement in fishing rope” said Sarah Conner, assistant producer.

During filming, the team behind Blue Planet recorded all the plastic they found; “Strangely it’s often the remotest islands that have the most plastics’ pollution. That’s also because there are swirling currents, known as gyres, that concentrate plastics in vast ‘garbage patches’ towards the centre of every ocean. This really is a global issue, which needs a global solution” added James Honeyborne. executive producer.

They also spent time focussing on how tiny plastic particles (microplastics) now play a role in the uptake of industrial pollution in marine life, contributing to high levels of chemical contamination in large predators, as in pilot whales. The team also saw plastic in the regurgitated pellets of Albatross chicks on South Georgia. “Their parents must have picked up plastic backs at sea, thinking they were edible, and have fed them to their young,” concluded James Honeyborne. “One chick had died from a plastic toothpick that had pierced its stomach.”

It’s a fantastic series, and showcases the wonder and magic of our ocean world along with the immense damage that we are doing to it. I’d recommending taking some time over the holiday period to view some of the videos on the BBC Nature YouTube channel.

And yes, it is a bit depressing. But we are fortunate to be in a position to help try to stop and then repair the damage we are doing to our seas.

Thank you for reading this edition and a special thank you for the support in 2017. We’ve grown further and quicker than we’d hoped. And are delighted to have added World Bio Markets, to our portfolio, so looking forward to seeing a lot of you there in Amsterdam in March.

A big thanks also to the Port of Amsterdam, Bioserie and Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) for the ir support with this edition, your support is as always greatly appreciated. Our next Issue, will be a bumper one, printed and distributed at World Bio Markets as well as digitally to our global community. Contact me today if you’d like to feature within it.

Regards and thanks for the continued support,

Luke UptonEditor & Co-Founder, Bio-Based World News Luke@BioBasedWorldNews.com

“THEIR PARENTS MUST HAVE PICKED UP PLASTIC BACKS AT SEA, THINKING THEY WERE EDIBLE, AND HAVE FED THEM TO THEIR YOUNG… ONE CHICK HAD DIED FROM A PLASTIC TOOTHPICK THAT HAD PIERCED ITS STOMACH.”

Ecover launches bottle made from 50% ocean plastic.Bio-based pioneers, Ecover have announced

its on-going commitment to the health of

the ocean and people by continuing with

its innovative Ocean Plastic Bottle initiative.

They have brought to market in the UK a

detergent container made of 50% plastic

collected from the ocean. Ecover believes

its limited edition ocean washing-up liquid

bottle is the first container to have such a

high ocean plastic content. The bottles are

made from eight tonnes of plastic collected

from the Rio De Janeiro bay as part of a

clean-up to prepare for the 2016 Olympics.

The collection produced a staggering

250,000 bottles to be sold across Europe.

Ecover, recently acquired by SC Johnson, are

the second company to announce bottles

made from ocean plastic, with P&G and

TerraCycle also doing similar last month but

with only 10% sourced from the sea.

Clariant to boost cellulosic ethanol output by 50,000 tonnes with Romania plant.Clariant is to step-up its production of biofuel using agricultural feedstocks that don’t

compete with food production, with the building of a full-scale commercial cellulosic

ethanol plant in Romania. Planned for construction next year, and with the first batch

expected in 2020, when the plant is up and running, it will have an annual production

capacity of 50,000 tonnes that will raise Romania’s bioethanol output to around

130,000 tonnes – when combined with the country’s one other plant. Around 250,000

tonnes of straw is required to produce 50,000 tonnes of bioethanol, says Clariant.

New report reveals fashion industry puts equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles into the ocean every year.The shocking wastefulness of the fashion industry and consumer attitudes has been

laid bare in a new report. Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is

landfilled or burned. An estimated USD 500 billion value is lost every year due to clothing

that’s barely worn and rarely recycled in the ‘take-make-dispose’ model that is prevalent

in the west. In a truly stunning stat – the report claims that if nothing changes, by 2050

the fashion industry will use up a quarter of the world’s carbon budget. As well as being

wasteful, the industry is polluting: clothes release half a million tonnes of microfibres

into the ocean every year, equivalent to more than 50 billion plastic bottles. Microfibres

are almost impossible to clean up and are now found in food chains for animals and

humans alike. This is without considering the human cost of manufacture – with ‘fast

fashion’ often manufactured in in sweat-shops using child labour. This new report,

published today, by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and supported by fashion designer

Stella McCartney - A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future - aims to remove

our ignorance from how our clothes are manufactured.

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM5

BIO-BASED WORLD NEWS IN BRIEF

Seaweed could fuel 10% of US transportation needs, say scientists.The case for seaweed as a viable material for biofuel has been strengthened after

an ocean research, exploration, and education organisation received $5.7m of

funding from a sector of the U.S. Department of Energy. Woods Hole Oceanographic

Institution (WHOI) was granted the money by the Advanced Research Projects

Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to for two projects that develop tools and technology to

advance the mass production of seaweed for biofuels and bio-based chemicals.

A director of the ARPA-E, Eric Rohlfing, said it made the investment – named the

Mariner Programme – so there could be more focus on the technological challenges

related to growing and harvesting macroalgae (seaweed) efficiently and cost-effectively.

Wrap up warm this Winter with this 100% bio-based jacket.Swedish outdoor apparel manufacturers Tierra have been making

“clothes for mountains” since 1983. They’ve helped equip the first

all-Swedish expedition to Mount Everest and kept Polar explorers, not

to mention the Swedish Alpine Mountain Rescue team warm and dry.

Now, inspired by the Paris Climate Change Conference and its focus on

oil dependency they decided to develop a jacket fully free from fossil

based material. The result is Deterra Jacket – the first ever 100% bio-

based jacket including materials from castor beans, wool, corn, Tencel,

cotton and corozo nuts. The Deterra Jacket has already been honoured

with international awards and soon it will be available to customers.

Abengoa embarks on US-first with the construction of 10m-gallon biofuel plant.The US is to add a bio refinery production facility to its eco

portfolio, with the creation of a plant that makes bio-based

jet fuel from household rubbish. The company behind its

construction, Abengoa, says it will be the first of its kind in the

country. Located in the state of Nevada, the Spanish company

claims annual output from the plant will reach 10 million

gallons. Abengoa will be responsible for the engineering, design,

construction and commissioning of the project, which is being

done on behalf of renewable fuel producer Fulcrum BioEnergy

for its Sierra BioFuels initiative.

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM 6

BIO-BASED WORLD NEWS IN BRIEF

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM7

FEATURE

Energy giants Shell and bio-based pioneers

bio-bean have announced a partnership to help

power some of London’s buses using a biofuel

made partly from waste coffee grounds. Founded

in 2013 by Arthur Kay, bio-bean is the first

company in the world to industrialise the process of recycling

waste coffee grounds into advanced bio-fuels and bio-chemicals.

The average Londoner drinks 2.3 cups of coffee a day2 which

produces over 200,000 tonnes3 of waste a year, much of which

would otherwise end in landfill with the potential to emit

126million kg of CO2., bio-bean works to collect some of these

waste coffee grounds from high street chains and factories.

bio-bean is founded on the premise that there is no such thing

as waste, “just resources in the wrong place” and they have

partnered with Shell to produce the B20 biofuel which contains a

20% bio-component which contains part coffee oil. The biofuel is

being added to the London bus fuel supply chain and will help to

power some of the buses; without need for modification. Biofuel

provides a cleaner, more sustainable energy solution for buses

across London’s network by decreasing emissions.

“Our Coffee Logs have already become the fuel of choice for

households looking for a high-performance, sustainable way to

heat their homes – and now, with the support of Shell, bio-bean

and Argent Energy have created thousands of litres of coffee-

derived B20 biodiesel which will help power London buses for

the first time.” said Arthur Kay. “It’s a great example of what can be

done when we start to reimagine waste as an untapped resource.”

The grounds are dried and processed before coffee oil is

extracted. bio-bean works with its fuel partner Argent Energy to

process this oil into a blended B20 biofuel. 6,000 litres of coffee

oil has been produced, which if used as a pure-blend for the bio

component and mixed with mineral diesel to form a B20, could

help power the equivalent of one London bus for a year5.

This latest collaboration is part of Shell’s #makethefuture energy relay,

which supports entrepreneurs turning bright energy innovations into a

positive impact for communities around the world.

Sinead Lynch, Shell UK Country Chair, said: “When it comes to clean

energy, we are always looking for the next inventive solution. A good

idea can come from anywhere, but with the scale and commitment

of Shell, we can help enable true progress. We’re pleased to be able

to support bio-bean to trial this innovative new energy solution

which can help to power buses, keeping Londoners moving around

the city - powered in part by their waste coffee grounds.”

bio-bean founder Arthur Kay won Shell LiveWIRE’s Innovation

Award in 2013 and the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Programme in 2012

with his ideas about turning coffee waste into fuel. bio-bean has

since gone on to produce bio-mass pellets and briquettes called

Coffee Logs, before this latest biofuel innovation. n

HOW LONDON’S COFFEE DRINKERS ARE HELPING BIO-BASED FUEL TO POWER THEIR BUSES.

“IT’S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE DONE WHEN WE START TO REIMAGINE

WASTE AS AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE.”

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON FIRST WOOD GASIFICATION PLANT IN THE NETHERLANDS AT THE PORT OF AMSTERDAM.

FEATURE

The Netherlands is regularly the source of our

most innovative stories, and this month is no

different, with last month seeing construction

commence on the first commercial wood

gasification plant in the Netherlands, Bio Energy

Netherlands. This plant, which has a modular design, will already

produce green heat for district heating and industrial applications

and green electricity in 2018. From 2019, the plant will supply

hydrogen and CO2 as raw materials for the chemical industry. Its

modular design enables the plant to respond flexibly to changes

in local demand for its end products.

Its initiators Raoul Witteveen and Robert-Jan van Ogtrop from

Bio Energy Netherlands have opted for non-recyclable wood

as fuel. This is wood for which there are few other uses than

incineration. Gasification is much cleaner than incineration,

and leads to 60-70% lower nitrogen and particulate emissions.

The non-recyclable wood is sourced in the region and prevents

unnecessary transportation of materials. Accordingly, there are no

sustainability issues concerning the material.

The energy transition poses two major challenges. The first is

the search for electricity that does not depend on the weather.

Electricity needs to be available even if there is no wind in the

evenings or if the sun is not shining. The second is the search

for green molecules as raw material for the chemical industry. In

addition, large volumes of gas and oil are used as raw materials

for the chemical industry. The gasification plant provides an

answer to this challenge. Moreover, the hydrogen can be used in

transport and contribute to the goal of zero-emissions driving by

2030 formulated by the Rutte III government.

Former minister Witteveen (Finance) is involved in the project as

an adviser. “Some former politicians talk a lot about sustainability,

but what is important is to put this into practice. That is what we

are doing with this project, which will start delivering sustainable

energy within a year.”

Port of Amsterdam welcomes the establishment of Bio Energy

Netherlands as a further step towards a sustainable port. Roon

van Maanen, Head of Circular & Renewable Industry of Port of

Amsterdam: “The establishment of Bio Energy Netherlands is very

much in line with the strategy of Port of Amsterdam to expand

the generation of sustainable energy in the area. It also offers

opportunities for advancing the development of the chemical

cluster in the Port of Amsterdam.” n

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM 8

“SOME FORMER POLITICIANS TALK

A LOT ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY, BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS TO PUT THIS INTO

PRACTICE.”

BUILDING THE PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP EUROPE ACHIEVE ITS BIO-BASED POTENTIAL.

So said Charles Darwin, someone who knew a

little about scientific developments that moved

from niche to mainstream but also understood

acutely the value of partnership. And it’s these

two tenets, innovation and collaboration that

are essential in ensuring the continued development and

growth of the bio-based economy. There has never a been a

more prescient time for bio-based to bloom, as the demands

for sustainable products and a more circular economy grow,

the industry matures and expands but also those denying the

effects of a fossil-fuel driven climate shrink further in numbers

and credibility. The alignment of these factors present a huge

economic opportunity for Europe and today, in a special

feature, our Editor Luke Upton spends some time with an

organisation doing more than anyone to drive the continent’s

position as a global leader - the Bio-Based Industries Joint

Undertaking (BBI JU) and speaks exclusively to Philippe Mengal

their Executive Director about their rapid development and

plans for the future.

The BBI JU was founded in 2014, with the aim of acting as a

catalyst for the development of a bio-based European economy

and is a €3.7 billion Public-Private Partnership between the

European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium.

Their mission is to contribute to a more sustainable, low-

carbon economy in Europe and increase economic growth and

employment, in particular rural areas and with a particular focus

on advanced bio-refineries that source their biomass sustainably.

Philippe Mengal (pictured opposite) tells me more about their

raison d’être; “The old economic model built on fossil fuels is

outdated. As a continent, we need to move towards a circular

model with all the benefits this offers. Through our ambitious

programme we are supporting bio-based economic growth

to boost employment by focusing on three key areas: aiding

the demonstration and deployment of novel technologies to

enable new bio-based chemicals, building blocks, materials and

consumer products to commercial level; developing value chain

is linking biomass production through to B2B and B2C in the

market; and setting up flagship bio-refineries that show that bio-

based can offer cost, performance, societal and environmental

advantages to outperform current fossil-based alternatives.”

In 2014 when the BBI JU (@BBI2020) was launched, the bio-

based industries already employed 3.3 million people in Europe,

and that number is set to grow by 400,000 by 2020 – 80% of

which will be in rural areas On top of that, the exploitation of

crops like thistles, dandelions and flax will allow farmers across

Europe to diversify and grow their income, as well as boost the

development of local economies.

In speaking to Philippe it is fascinating to learn of the breadth

and variety of the projects with which the BBI JU is engaged. And

Bio-Based World News is fortunate to be able to profile four of

the over the coming weeks. What is particularly positive about

their work is that it focuses on supporting economies in parts of

Europe that have been economically neglected, or suffered due

to post-industrialisation and for whom bio-based can offer a

route to revitalisation.

Just one example of a BBI JU project focused on creating

additional jobs in rural areas, is Dendromass4Europe (D4EU)

which aims at establishing sustainable, Short-Rotation Coppice

(SRC)-based, regional cropping systems for agricultural

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM9

FEATURE

dendromass - a ligneous biomass used as a raw material and

energy source, but without the quality required for traditional

high-level uses, such as furniture.

This project is focused on the establishment and expansion of 2,500

hectares of dendromass crops on marginal or currently unused

agricultural land in rural areas of the Slovak Republic, Hungary

and possibly the Czech Republic and helping large numbers of

farmers and rural land owners that will directly benefit from the

diversification and increase of revenues through their involvement in

D4EU. Made possible with a BBI JU contribution of €9.8million, this

five year project began in June of this year.

With D4EU just one 65 projects in 30 countries underway across

Europe, and BBI JU well considered by its project co-ordinators and

wider industry experts , I ask Philippe where he sees BBI JU beyond

2020 when it’s current remit ends.

“Since our establishment, BBI JU has become an important pillar of

Europe’s bio-economy strategy and must continue to bring together

and integrate different sectors and entire value chains, mobilising

the relevant stakeholders, ranging from SMEs to large companies,

from resource and technology providers to brand owners and finally

consumers. The sector has improved a lot in term of structuration,

organisation and maturity. But full maturity is not fully reached yet

and a second generation of BBI JU is still needed. Investment is one

of the major challenges to growing the bio-economy, and although

Europe is back on the map of attractive areas to invest in bio-based

industries, but still not fully perceived as non-risky for investment.

This position should be consolidated and as a result continuity is key

here in order to reap the full benefits of the overall initiative. We look

forward to continuing our work in 2020 and beyond.”

If you would like to find out about how your project could be

supported by BBI JU, they launch annual Calls for Proposals,

and this is open to all stakeholders – large industries, SMEs,

technology providers, academia, RTOS. The process is

operated under Horizon 2020 rules and thus on the principles

of Openness, Transparency and Excellence. In other words,

everyone can participate and the best proposals – evaluated by

independent experts – will win. n

For more on BBI JU visit: www.bbi-europe.eu

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM 10

“IT IS THE LONG HISTORY OF HUMANKIND (AND ANIMAL KIND, TOO) THOSE WHO LEARNED TO

COLLABORATE AND IMPROVISE MOST EFFECTIVELY HAVE PREVAILED.”

July 16-19, 2018 • Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA

SPECIALTY FOOD INGREDIENTS, FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY & GENE EDITING

ADVANCED BIOFUELS & BIOREFINERY PLATFORMS

GROWING GLOBAL BIOBASED MARKETS

RENEWABLE CHEMICALS & BIOBASED PRODUCTS

AGRICULTURAL CROP TECHNOLOGIES & BIOMASS SUPPLY

ALGAE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES (NEW!)

OTHER PROGRAM TRACKS

Visit bio.org/worldcongress for important information on call for session proposals, registration and sponsorship.

Join us for 3 days filled with top-notch programming, partnering, and networking next July 16-19, 2018 in Philadelphia for

the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology!

The BIO World Congress provides a unique forum for business executives, government officials, academic researchers and

industry leaders to share the latest advances in:

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM 12

FEATURE

PROJECT FOCUS: EXTRACTING HIGH VALUE PRODUCTS FROM SUGAR BEET PULP.

One of the many joys about writing about the

business of bio-based is learning more about

the varied uses of feedstock. Before speaking to

Gerald van Engelen and Harry Raaijmakers of

agro-industrial cooperative Royal Cosun, who

head up the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking’s (BBI JU’s)

demonstration project, PULP2VALUE, I would have said that

sugar beet pulp, when added to hay, was a great Winter

feedstock for horses, but would have struggled to name other

uses. And yes, of the 13 million tonnes of sugar beet pulp

produced in Europe a year, most of it does feed animals, act as

a bio-fertilizer or is used in creating green fuel. But

PULP2VALUE, based in Roosendaal, the Netherlands, aims to

provide added value for producers of sugar beet pulp by

creating processes that extract far higher value products from

sugar beet side-streams.

Philippe Mengal, Executive Director of BBI JU on the project:

“Pulp2Value is a great example of how the BBI JU programme

is opening up opportunities for industry and primary producers

through developing innovative ‘added value’ biorefinery

processing techniques.”

The origins of the PULP2VALUE project, began in around 2008,

when Royal Cosun was undertaking separate projects focussed

on individual uses for sugar beet pulp. In 2013, the time came to

move from lab scale to industrial pilot scale. During this scale up

the possibility of integration was already taken into account.

Gerald van Engelen, General Manager at Cosun Biobased Products

tells us more: “Here in the Netherlands, with our agricultural

heritage and relative small size, we are uniquely placed to

demonstrate an integrated and cost-effective bio-refinery to refine

sugarbeet pulp, and extract much more value, perhaps between 20

and 50 times more from products derived from it.”

The PULP2VALUE project, which brings together a consortium

that also includes Stichting Wageningen Research (Netherlands),

Wageningen University (Netherlands), Orineo (Belgium), Nova-

Institute (Germany), Bio base Europe pilot plant (Belgium) and

Refresco Gerber (United Kingdom) is focussed on three high

value products extracted from sugar beet sidestreams. The aim is

to optimise, scale up and integrate processes for the three and at

the same time build long lasting value chains for them.

The three products are microcellulose fibres (MCFs) - available for

use in detergents, paints and coatings, composites and the oil and

gas industry, arabinose (Ara) - flavours and food applications and

galacturonic acid (GalA) - personal care and the chemical industry.

“For each of these products we have identified multiple product

markets and are developing clear business cases. But these can

only be fully exploited by developing a full scale cascade biorefinery

system and supplying industrial samples to the market. This required

a substantial investment and where BBI JU’s contribution proved

significant. Their support de-risked the project and has helped cover

the CAPEX and OPEX, a very important contribution” continued Gerald.

As well as the business case, the project which launched in July

2015 and will run until June 2019, will also aid rural development

in sugar beet growing areas by connecting them in new cross-

sectorial value chains with chemical, food and other industries.

Of the three product demonstration plants to which the project is

committed, the microcellulose fibres (MCF) is undergoing its final

test runs ahead of being fully operational very soon, the arabinose

is on schedule to be operational in the second half of 2018 with

the strategy for the galacturonic acid now underway.

It’s a fantastic project, making full use of biomass that has not

been fulfilling its potential and creating significant business

opportunities, not mention environmental and societal benefits.

Gerald and Harry are both very experienced in the bio-based

sector, and to conclude I ask for their advice to anyone just

setting out in our industry.

“Stick to your strengths, conduct a full analysis of them, as well

as your weaknesses and use this to judge where success can be

made. In this industry there are so many possibilities, it can be

overwhelming, so take time to choose the right ones” said Gerald.

Whilst for Harry; “Use nature’s functionality, by doing this, you’ll

need as little conversion as possible. And as Gerald has said,

nearly everything is possible, from a technical point of view, in

our industry. So let the business case decide for you.” n

For more on the PULP2VALUE Project visit www.bbi-europe.eu/

projects/pulp2value or www.pulp2value.eu

Visit www.WorldBioMarkets.com for more information

CONNECT WITH THE GLOBAL VALUE CHAIN500+ attendees from feedstock producers, investors, tech suppliers to chemical producers, brands and more!

LEARN FROM THE BIO-ECONOMY EXPERTS100+ speakers discussing bio-based chemicals, bio-fuels and sustainable products

MEET END USERS OF BIO-BASED PRODUCTSMeet sustainable brands such as P&G, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Patagonia, Ikea, Lego and more!

WBM remains a prime event in the renewables industry with very relevant networking opportunities.”Rob van der Meij, Investment Manager, Capricorn Venture Partners

20-22 March 2018 Passenger Terminals, Amsterdam

Lanyard SponsorWifi Sponsor Regional Sponsor Venture Capital Partner Bronze Sponsors

13th Annual

MEET THE BUSINESSES AND BRANDS INVESTING IN BIO-BASED SOLUTIONS

Drinks Reception Sponsor Silver SponsorsPort Authority Sponsor

FEATURE

13 BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM

NEW REPORT SHINES A LIGHT ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRANDS AND BIO-BASED MATERIALS.

26% of brands said bio-based content is one of the

selection criteria used when choosing a supplier,

based on sustainability performance.

52% said they have clear objectives for sourcing bio-

based materials.

71% said their brand communicated externally on its

use of bio-based materials.

Many brands make a very public display of

working with bio-based materials and products

but still retain a core reliance on their

traditional, fossil-fuel ingredients. Gaining an

understanding of what brands, really think

about the bio-economy can be a real challenge. Aiming to give

the industry a better understanding of what makes a brand

engage with the bio-economy, communications and PR

agency Sustainability Consult have published a new report

#WhatBrandsWant.Compiled over a six-month period, they

surveyed more than 6,000 participants and analysed responses

from over 40 brands with the results offering unique end-user

insights on the drivers and barriers affecting the renewable

materials market.

The findings reveal a growing commitment towards renewable

materials and alternatives to fossil-based products. Half of the

brands surveyed have set targets for bio-based products. One

quarter said bio-based content was one of the selection criteria

when choosing a supplier based on sustainability performance.

Of the brands not currently using bio-based materials, two-thirds

intend to incorporate them into future product lines.

Cost is viewed as the main barrier to adoption, followed by

performance and availability. Respondents also cited concerns

regarding feedstock, end-of-life options, as well as a lack of

consumer understanding. To remedy these problems, brands are

looking to the bio-based industry to provide credible information

on product advantages.

Richard Delahay, Managing Director at Sustainability Consult

said, “Since 2011, Sustainability Consult has worked closely with

companies invested in the bio-economy. We often hear this

industry ask the same question: how can we encourage brands

to invest in renewable materials? Our first ever stakeholder survey

provides clear pointers, highlighting opportunities for action to

mainstream bio-based solutions.” n

Read the full report here: #WhatBrandsWant Report

“BRANDS ARE LOOKING TO THE BIO-BASED INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE

CREDIBLE INFORMATION ON PRODUCT ADVANTAGES.”

Visit www.WorldBioMarkets.com for more information

CONNECT WITH THE GLOBAL VALUE CHAIN500+ attendees from feedstock producers, investors, tech suppliers to chemical producers, brands and more!

LEARN FROM THE BIO-ECONOMY EXPERTS100+ speakers discussing bio-based chemicals, bio-fuels and sustainable products

MEET END USERS OF BIO-BASED PRODUCTSMeet sustainable brands such as P&G, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Patagonia, Ikea, Lego and more!

WBM remains a prime event in the renewables industry with very relevant networking opportunities.”Rob van der Meij, Investment Manager, Capricorn Venture Partners

20-22 March 2018 Passenger Terminals, Amsterdam

Lanyard SponsorWifi Sponsor Regional Sponsor Venture Capital Partner Bronze Sponsors

13th Annual

MEET THE BUSINESSES AND BRANDS INVESTING IN BIO-BASED SOLUTIONS

Drinks Reception Sponsor Silver SponsorsPort Authority Sponsor

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM15

FEATUREFEATURE

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY BREAKTHROUGH COULD IGNITE CHEAPER BIOFUEL PRODUCTION.

The process behind biofuel production could

become cheaper and more efficient if the efforts

of a US laboratory and start-up are realised, after

the development of a pioneering cloning system.

SimPath has now licensed the system by the

Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

that generates and assembles the biological building blocks

necessary to synthetically bioengineer new fuels.

Also suitable for the pharmaceutical industry in the development

of medicines, the Knoxville -based company SimPath will develop

the cloning system further to improve ORNL’s method into a

multi-gene DNA assembly kit. It will also include a software

package for customers using synthetic biology techniques.

The benefit of using synthetic biology is down to the fact that it

leverages genome sequences of organisms, such as bacteria and

yeast, and reassembles its genetic make-up to produce products

that are difficult to obtain naturally. ORNL researchers originally

developed the cloning system to aid studies of drought-resistant

plants that rely on a water-saving form of photosynthesis, a system

that has already brought about a 50% increase in production.

Jerry Tuskan, co-inventor and chief executive officer of the Center

for Bioenergy Innovation, led by ORNL, said the system has been

designed to shuttle between different biological systems: “The

easily transferable platform can be used to assemble the gene

constructs from a large collection of DNA fragments.”

Moe Khaleel, associate lab director for Energy and Environmental

Sciences at ORNL, said its team of researchers are helping to

deliver breakthroughs in synthetic biology, and he highlighted

the importance of the latest partnership. “We value our industrial

partners like SimPath who bridge scientific discovery with

technology innovation to accelerate the path to commercialization.”

SimPath plans to provide an accessible product that helps

synthetic biology researchers reduce operating costs, increase

efficiency and more quickly commercialise products.

ORNL and SimPath will continue to partner on the cloning tool,

using feedback from SimPath’s customers to enhance the system

and fine-tune characteristics such as shelf-life, which determines

the viability of live products.

Robert Moseley, president and co-founder of SimPath, said its

goal was to accelerate its customers’ design-build-test cycles. “By

providing them with flexible DNA assembly tools, we can further

enable the plant synthetic biology community to introduce new

products to the market faster,” said Mosely. n

“WE VALUE OUR INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS LIKE SIMPATH WHO BRIDGE SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY WITH TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION TO ACCELERATE THE PATH TO COMMERCIALIZATION.”

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM 16BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM

BIO-BASED RUBBER TO GIVE “OPTIMAL BOUNCE” TO OFFICIAL BALL OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2018.

The new official football of the World Cup 2018

will contain Keltan Eco a bio-based ethylene-

propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber made

by ARLANXEO, one of the world’s leading

suppliers of synthetic rubber. The EPDM rubber is

the basis for a sponge rubber layer directly underneath the

“Telstar 18” ball’s outer cover. It serves as a moldable cushion for

the ball and supports “optimal bounce characteristics during

games” according to the team behind it. Keltan Eco is the world’s

first EPDM rubber manufactured using bio-based ethylene

extracted from sugarcane.

“For us, ecological sustainability was a fundamental criterion in

the selection of products for the World Cup soccer ball,” says

Stefan Bichler, project manager of Football Operations at adidas

AG. “We wanted to create the new soccer ball using high-tech

materials that have impressive performance characteristics and

are also sustainable.”

Materials that are used in this layer must meet strict requirements

in properties such as density, hardness and weight, and they

must also demonstrate good processability. The most important

performance characteristic, however, is the elasticity and

resilience of the layer.

“Keltan Eco has the renowned quality characteristics as EPDM

rubber that is made using fossil raw materials,” says Martin

Kleimeier, project director and Global Marketing Manager

for the ARLANXEO Keltan business line. “With the full Keltan

Eco portfolio, we have developed EPDM products that save

resources, reduce our use of fossil-based products and also have

a carbon footprint that is significantly lower than conventionally

manufactured polymers,” adds Chretien Rooijakkers, Head of

Global Marketing for the ARLANXEO Keltan business line.

Since end of 2011 ARLANXEO has produced bio-based EPDM

rubber at its Triunfo site in Brazil. Bio-based ethylene is produced

by Braskem, their partner, and flows directly by pipeline to their

EPDM plant.

Depending on the ethylene content of each rubber grade,

the proportion of bio-based material ranges between 50 and

70 percent. Keltan Eco 6950 – the type used by adidas – is

characterized by its amorphous structure and high crosslinking

density. This leads to good low-temperature properties and meets

the requirements for the best possible elasticity and resilience.

With six different grades of Keltan Eco rubber currently on the

market, ARLANXEO, established in April 2016 as a joint venture

of LANXESS and Saudi Aramco, is supporting the move towards

more sustainable products and matching the ever stricter

environmental requirements to help reduce its carbon footprint,

whether in the sporting goods industry or the automotive

industry. Other areas of application include artificial turf and

athletics tracks. n

“FOR US, ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY WAS A FUNDAMENTAL CRITERION IN THE SELECTION OF PRODUCTS FOR THE WORLD CUP SOCCER BALL,”

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM17

FEATURE

THE LAST WORD WITH… TOM BEARDSLEE, VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT VERDEZYNE.

Dave Songer (DS): Hi Tom, you’ve been with Verdezyne for 10

years now; what first inspired you to work in the industry?

Tom Beardslee (TB): Well, I’d say I’ve been interested in the

principles of green chemistry ever since I was a high school

teacher many years ago. Being a teacher of chemistry, you’re

always trying to inspire where you can and teaching students

about how we can do things a better way was always a big

thing for me. So, working for a company that aims to replace

petrochemicals with more sustainable ways of producing those

chemicals was a big draw for me.

(DS): What do you enjoy most about your role?

(TB): I would have to say the people that I work with. They’re

a great team of scientists at Verdezyne (that cover many

different disciplines, from molecular biology and genetics all

the way to chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and

communication sciences, exposing me to an array of very different

sciences and employing that science in what I think is a very

important aspect of trying to promote the bio-based economy.

(DS): What advice would you give someone looking to get

started in the bio-based industry?

(TB): I would advise them to be realistic because what we’re

doing is difficult. It’s tough to replace petrochemical technology

– that in some instances has been in place for close to 100 years

– with a bio-based option. All the efficiencies have been worked

out and the petrochemical industry is pretty good at making it

very economical. So that’s that challenge: trying to overtake a

very mature process within a time frame that only gives you four

or five years to develop it. That’s a big factor for a small company

if they don’t want to run out of money.

(DS): What projects is Verdezyne currently working on, can

you provide some details?

(TB): The main project that we have underway is our VerdePalm

project in Malaysia: our first commercial facility. It’s currently under

construction and should be complete in the third quarter of 2018.

With a capacity of six kilo-tonnes, it will produce the chemical

dodecanedioic acid (DDDA) – the first commercial facility in the world

to produce renewable bio-based DDDA, which is the chemical that’s

used to produce nylon coatings and corrosion inhibitors.

That’s our main project but another we’ve launched is our first

commercial product: FerroShield, which is a mix of diacids that we’re

producing via a toll producer that are used as a corrosion inhibitor

in metal working fluids. It’s an important product for industry and it’s

important for us to have our first product for sale, as it demonstrates

to customers that we can sell a product and deliver it.

(DS): What is the biggest professional challenge you’ve faced?

(TB): VerdePalm is definitely a big challenge. Building something

that costs tens-of-millions-of-dollars on the other side of

the world, while negotiating with those financing it and the

engineering firms providing the work, is quite a process.

(DS): Where would you like to see Verdezyne in ten years’ time?

(TB): VerdePalm will definitely have a big impact on the company.

It will change the kind of company we are – from a technology

company to a chemical provider. In 10 years I would like to see

Verdezyne (@Verdezyne) making chemicals at multiple plants

in places around the world, not just Malaysia, so we can service

customers that are important closer to the plant that they serve.

It could also serve as a blueprint for other facilities and other

products that are in our R&D pipeline. We definitely don’t want

to be a one-trick pony making just one chemical and we have a

number of projects which we’re aiming to commercialise.

(DS): What is your favourite bio-based product and why?

(TB): This may be a little funny to some, but I would have to

say the little bit of nylon 6,6 yarn that I carry around with me.

This was the very first nylon 6,6 that had bio-based content.

The adibic acid used in it was made here at Verdezyne, is made

from completely renewable feed stocks and was one of the first

demonstrations we had that showed bio-based technology could

actually work. It’s important to have a product in your hand, and

I carry that with me not only as a show and tell for wherever I go,

but also as a reminder why we do what we do.

(DS): Thanks Tom, the Bio-Based World News team looks

forward to catching up with you at this year’s conference. n

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY ISSUE #9

+ INCLUDES A SPECIAL FOCUS ON SECURING BIO-BASED FINANCE

Deadline for Content: February 23rd

Published: Week commencing March 19th

World Bio Markets: 20th – 22nd March 2018, Amsterdam

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY ISSUE #10

+ INCLUDES A SPECIAL FOCUS ON BIO-PLASTICS

Deadline for Content: June 15th

Published: Week commencing June 25th

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY ISSUE #12

+ INCLUDES SPECIAL FEATURE ON PACKAGING

AND FOAMS

Deadline for Content: November 23rd

Published: Week commencing

December 3rd

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY ISSUE #11

+ INCLUDES A SPECIAL FEATURE ON THE BIO-BASED INDUSTRY

IN ASIA

Deadline for Content: September 15th

Published: Week commencing

September 24th

BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM 18BIO-BASED WORLD QUARTERLY #8 WINTER 2017 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM

2018 EDITORIAL AND EVENTS SCHEDULE

VERDEZYNE:BRINGING THE FUTURE INTO FOCUS BRINGING

EXPERT VIEW:UNLOCKING THE PROMISE OF BIO-BASED PLASTICS

THE AMYRIS STORY:VETERANS OF A NEW INDUSTRY

THE BIG INTERVIEW:MARIANNA RALLI, KORRES NATURAL PRODUCTS

#1 SPRING 2016 / WWW.BIOBASEDWORLDNEWS.COM

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“OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT US TO DO THE RIGHT THING. WE WANT TO AVOID GREENWASHING, EVERY CLAIM WE MAKE WE WANT TO BE

VERY TRANSPARENT AND HAVE SUBSTANTIVE EVIDENCE...”

THE INSIDE STORY ON KINGFISHER’S SUSTAINABILITY AMBITIONS.

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