Science and Business Developments

Abstract

Industrial BiotechnologyVol. 18, No. 3 Industry UpdatesFree AccessScience and Business DevelopmentsPublished Online:15 Jun 2022https://doi.org/10.1089/ind.2022.29285.rcoAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail IB Editorial StaffBraskem and Sojitz Corporation Form Renewable MEG Joint VentureBraskem and Sojitz have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture that will produce and market bioMEG (monoethylene glycol) and bioMPG (monopropylene glycol). Subject to the conclusion of technology development in 2022, the business plan includes the construction of three industrial units, with the startup of the first plant in 2025, taking advantage of market opportunities and feedstock availability. With the agreement signed, the establishment of the joint venture has been submitted to antitrust authorities for approval.The joint venture will combine Braskem's expertise in the industrial production and sale of chemicals and plastics made from renewable sources with Sojitz's strong presence in Asia, a region that concentrates 80% of the global MEG market and where its consumption registered the highest growth.“We are pooling the efforts, expertise and investments of the two companies that are references in their respective segments to create a global leader in bioMEG that can meet the strong market demand for sustainable and renewable products” said Gustavo Sergi, Renewable Chemicals & Specialties Officer at Braskem. “The partnership between Braskem and Sojitz marks the advance of technology - developed on a demonstration scale with Danish company Haldor Topsoe - to the commercial production phase with a clear combination of competencies and resources for scaling up,” he added.“We are pleased to have the partnership with Braskem. We promote this sustainable material to various industries globally with our strong and wide-ranged market networks,” said Manabu Endo, General Manager of Basic Chemicals Dept. at Sojitz. He added “This is a huge progress towards our ambition to realize 100% Biomass PET together with our project to produce bio Paraxylene, another raw material of PET, partnering with Japanese partners.”MEG is the raw material for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which has numerous applications and is an essential input in sectors such as textiles and packaging, especially beverage bottles. Currently, it is produced mainly from fossil-based raw materials such as naphtha, gas or coal, and its global market stands at around US$25 billion. Monopropylene glycol (MPG) is a product that has a wide range of applications.In 2017, Braskem partnered with Haldor Topsoe, a leading developer and provider of solutions and technologies for production of energy efficient fuels and chemicals for a sustainable future to demonstrate the innovative technology for converting sugar into bioMEG and bioMPG on a demonstration scale. Resulting from the technological cooperation between the two companies, the first bioMEG samples were produced in 2020.“We embarked on a journey alongside our partners, combining Haldor Topsoe's technology, Sojitz's expertise and Braskem's experience to achieve our goal of delivering a sustainable solution with the potential to revolutionize the textile and PET packaging markets,” explained Gustavo. “The initiative is also aligned with the goal set by Braskem to become a carbon neutral company by 2050, underlining the company's commitment to Sustainable Development by producing Renewable Chemicals.”Genomatica and Asahi Kasei Partner on Renewably-Sourced Nylon 6,6Genomatica and Japan-based diversified global manufacturer Asahi Kasei announced a strategic partnership to commercialize renewably-sourced nylon 6,6 made from Genomatica's biobased hexamethylenediamine (HMD) building block. Asahi Kasei looks to this partnership to support its goal to be first-to-market with a more sustainable nylon 6,6 for the automotive and electronics industries, based on plant-based HMD, and to accelerate the achievement of its corporate sustainability objectives.HMD is a key component of nylon 6,6 (also known as polyamide 6,6) and multiple other types of nylon, with a global market of 2 million tons per year. Conventional HMD is made starting from fossil fuels, such as crude oil or natural gas. HMD made with Genomatica's technology is derived from renewable feedstocks, such as plant-based sugars, and can improve the sustainability of the many materials made from it.Asahi Kasei intends to apply Genomatica's GENO™ HMD process technology to make more sustainable materials for use in products such as high-temperature automotive parts, electronics, or yarns to produce airbags. Asahi Kasei will have preferential access to early volumes of renewably-sourced HMD and perform nylon application testing, leveraging Asahi Kasei's deep experience developing successful nylon applications. Asahi Kasei anticipates licensing Genomatica's GENO™ HMD process technology to commercialize bio-based nylon.Lygos and Flexible Solutions International to MergeLygos, Inc., a vertically integrated biotechnology provider of sustainable specialty ingredients, and Flexible Solutions International, Inc. (FSI), a developer and manufacturer of biodegradable products, have entered into a definitive merger agreement providing for an all-stock transaction. The companies plan to integrate the two complementary technology platforms, expand the portfolio of multi-functional organic acids, and scale production to meet the increasing demand for sustainable products for agricultural, industrial, and consumer applications. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, and the $160 million of growth capital was funded in April 2022.“In a world with increasing demand on resources, there is a greater need for alternative chemical ingredients that are reliable, scalable, and sustainable,” said Lygos CEO Eric Steen, PhD. “This merger provides the opportunity to unlock new high-growth opportunities for our business, our investors, and our customers by connecting our ingredients to existing downstream products. Together, we intend to use our collective resources to expand domestic manufacturing and revive industrial innovation by providing more environmentally friendly ingredients that enable better supply chains for common, everyday downstream products.”FSI is an environmental technology company involved in research, development, and manufacturing of supplies that are designed to increase crop yield, conserve energy, and reduce environmental impact. Over the past four years, Lygos and FSI have been leveraging Lygos' proprietary fermentation technology platform to improve the performance of FSI's biodegradable, water-soluble cleaning and water treatment solutions. The Lygos platform utilizes the latest advances in bioengineering and data science to convert sustainable sugars into multi-functional organic acids. These bio-based ingredients feature performance, supply chain and environmental advantages over traditional industrial chemicals.“This combination of Lygos' sustainable organic acid production capabilities and FSI's polymer expertise will enable more customers around the world to create sustainable and biodegradable solutions,” said Dan O'Brien, CEO of FSI. “I'm very excited about being part of this combined company for many years to come. FSI has demonstrated successful growth and ability to attract large and consistent customers for our products. We have adapted our business over time with this focus on our customer needs, and believe that as we enter this new phase, we can achieve even greater applications for our combined solutions.”Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation Evaluating Biobased Olefins ProductionMitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) and Toyota Tsusho Corporation have begun a joint-consideration to manufacture and sell ethylene, propylene, and their derivatives using bioethanol as a raw material, with an aim to commence operation in 2025. MCC and Toyota Tsusho are working on the commercialization of various recycling processes and aim to realize a recycling-oriented society by switching from raw materials derived from fossil fuels to plant-derived materials.MCC and Toyota Tsusho will evaluate the manufacture of 100% plant-derived ethylene (bioethylene) and its derivatives using bioethanol as a raw material, and the manufacture and sale of the first plant-derived propylene in Japan (biopropylene) and its derivatives using bioethylene as its raw material.Both companies will investigate the market need for bioethylene, biopropylene, and their derivatives and conduct a concrete feasibility assessment with an aim to commercialize by 2025. In addition, MCC and Toyota Tsusho will quantify the GHG reduction over the entire life cycle of these products and promote efforts to reduce environmental burden.Bioceres and Marrone Bio Innovations to MergeBioceres Crop Solutions Corp. and Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. have entered into a definitive agreement to combine the companies in an all-stock transaction. Under the terms of the transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of both companies, each share of MBI common stock will be exchanged at closing for ordinary shares of Bioceres at a fixed ratio of 0.088, representing a value of approximately $236 million, based on the Bioceres and MBI share prices at market close on March 15, 2022 and the number of current outstanding MBI shares.This transaction will combine Bioceres' expertise in bionutrition and seed care products with MBI's leadership in the development of biological crop protection and plant health solutions, creating a global leader in the development and commercialization of sustainable agricultural solutions. The companies together operate in 46 countries with approximately 640 employees, including two wholly owned manufacturing facilities and research and development (R&D) facilities located in Davis, California, and Rosario, Argentina.The combined company will have a diverse customer base, product portfolio and geographic reach across a wide range of crops, positioned to serve the massive market opportunity emerging from the bio-reduction and replacement of chemical ag inputs. Key products in the combined companies' R&D pipelines include Bioceres' HB4 drought tolerance program in wheat and soybeans and MBI's breakthrough research in bioherbicides. Additionally, MBI recently submitted regulatory packages for its novel bioinsecticide/bionematicide products MBI-306 and MBI-206 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Brazilian authorities for approval, respectively.The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of calendar 2022, subject to the approval of MBI shareholders, regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions. Shareholders representing approximately 49% of MBI's outstanding shares of common stock have entered into customary transaction support agreements, agreeing to vote their shares in favor of the merger agreement and transactions contemplated thereby. Upon close, MBI shareholders will own approximately 16 million shares of Bioceres, with at least two individuals designated by MBI to be appointed to Bioceres' board of directors.Bio Base Asia Pilot Plant Launches in ThailandBio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP), Belgium and National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand announce the launch of Bio Base Asia Pilot Plant (BBAPP), a multi-purpose biorefinery pilot plant. The Facility is built on “Biopolis”, a translational research hub for biobased industry, situated at the Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECi), Thailand.Thailand is one of the top producers and exporters of sugarcane, cassava, oil palm and many other agricultural products. More than 40 million tons of biomass are currently under-utilized. This gap presents ample opportunity for biorefinery technology that enables the conversion of biomass to energy, chemicals and biomaterials, significantly raising the value of these crops and their by-products.“The Bio Base Asia Pilot Plant is the first of its kind in Thailand and ASEAN countries with a unique mission to develop and scale up sustainable biobased products and processes,” says Prof. Wim Soetaert, CEO of BBEPP. The pilot-scale infrastructure aims to provide a platform for local and international private and public organizations and academic institutions to scale up and validate their laboratory processes, perform the techno-economic assessment and facilitate market entry before investing in a dedicated production plant.“BBEPP and NSTDA have been collaborating to set up the Bio Base Asia Pilot Plant as a joint-venture with shared financial and technological resources, in order to leverage the best of both parties,” said Dr. Narong Sirilertworakul, President of NSTDA. The Memorandum of Understanding on Collaboration for Establishing the Bio Base Asia Pilot Plant in Thailand was signed on November 12, 2019. “The complementarity of the partners will provide our customers with a world-class facility and technologies which are among one of the best in the industries in ASEAN” said Dr. Somvong Tragoonrung, Chairman of the Board of Directors, BBAPP.BBEPP is a world-class service provider for process development, scale-up and custom manufacturing of biobased products and processes. Famously known for its wide and flexible spectrum of modular unit operations, BBEPP facility enables the translation of biobased lab processes into a viable industrial process. BBEPP's unique expertise, technologies and successful business model are among the many contributions to the Joint-Venture activities. NSTDA, through the investment of the Thai Government, funds the investment of the facility and equipment and contributes its established existing platform for biobased process and product development using locally abundant resources. NSTDA also contributes its customer base through its broad contact network.Bio Base Asia Pilot Plant consists of two separate pilot facilities for non-GMP and GMP activities. The non-GMP facility serves the industry that is active in biochemicals, biomaterials and other relevant bioproducts, while the GMP facility will focus on applications in food, feed, cosmetics and nutraceuticals. The services broadly cover biomass pretreatment, industrial biotechnology (microbial fermentation and biocatalysis), green chemistry and downstream processing operations to transform low-value biomass raw materials into a wide range of high-value bioproducts.Metsä Fibre and Veolia Partner on Biomethanol Production at ÄänekoskiMetsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, and Veolia have signed a long-term partnership agreement on the refining of crude methanol generated in pulp production at the Äänekoski bioproduct mill into commercial biomethanol. As part of this cooperation, Veolia has decided to invest in the construction of a crude methanol refinery in connection with Metsä Fibre's Äänekoski bioproduct mill. The refinery, owned and operated by Veolia, will be closely integrated into the bioproduct mill processes.Veolia's refinery investment will further strengthen Metsä Fibre's bioproduct concept, which involves making various value-added products from production side streams and renewable wood raw material delivered to the mill. Biomethanol production adds value to methanol, and the resulting product can be used as traffic fuel, for example.“Metsä Fibre's unique bioproduct concept combines efficient raw material use with energy and environmental efficiency,” says Kaija Pehu-Lehtonen, SVP, Business Development from Metsä Fibre. “In accordance with the principles of the circular economy, production side streams—in this case, crude methanol—are utilized and upgraded to obtain products with the highest possible added value.”Goodyear Signs Pact with DoD, Air Force, and BioMADE to Advance Dandelion RubberThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced a multi-year, multi-million-dollar program supported by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and BioMADE to work with Ohio-based Farmed Materials to develop a domestic source of natural rubber from a specific species of dandelion.The program will build on research that analyzed more than 2,500 species of plants but found only a few with properties suitable for use in tires. Taraxacum kok-saghyz, a species of dandelion known as TK, has proven to be a valuable alternative to natural rubber trees. Farmed Materials has shown initial positive results in pilot programs for TK, yielding strong harvests that necessitate the need for additional planting and funding.“Global demand for natural rubber continues to grow, and it remains a key raw material for the tire industry,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer for Goodyear. “This is a critical time to develop a domestic source of natural rubber, which may help mitigate future supply chain challenges.”While rubber trees typically take seven years to produce the latex needed for rubber production, dandelions can be harvested every six months. TK dandelions are also resilient and can grow in more temperate climates, such as Ohio.Backed by the DoD, the collaboration of Goodyear, BioMADE and Farmed Materials will accelerate commercialization of TK, beginning in the spring of 2022 with the planting and harvesting of TK seeds in Ohio. The natural rubber produced will be used in the production of military aircraft tires that will be built and tested under rigorous applications by Goodyear in cooperation with the AFRL at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.BriefsDiscovery Park and the University of Kent have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see Kent's leading science park and the University work together in several strategic areas including industrial biotechnology, neurosciences and digital and data driven healthcare, increasingly referred to as ‘Tech Bio’.Phytolon, a growing startup company making natural food colorants, announced a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks to produce vibrant cultured food colors via fermentation of yeast. Under this partnership, Phytolon is leveraging Ginkgo's ability to engineer biology at scale to work together on the production of vibrant betalain pigments, the healthy and colorful compounds found in foods like beets and cactus fruit. The project aims to take Phytolon's colors across the full 'yellow-to-purple' spectrum to the next level, and to potentially maximize the business opportunity of Phytolon's vibrant colors for applications in the food and cosmetics industries.New data released by The Good Food Institute (GFI) reveals that globally, 2021 was a record period of investment in companies creating sustainable alternatives to conventional animal-based foods, including global plant-based meat, seafood, egg, and dairy companies; cultivated meat and seafood companies; and fermentation companies devoted to alternative proteins. Alternative protein companies have raised almost $11.1 billion in invested capital since 2010, 73% or $8 billion of which was raised since 2020 when the coronavirus first disrupted global markets.Gevo, Inc. has signed a “take-or-pay” agreement with Delta Air Lines, Inc. to supply 75 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per year for seven years. Based on current assumptions, including those around future pricing of commodities and the future values of certain environmental benefits, Gevo estimates that the Agreement should generate approximately $2.8 billion of revenue, inclusive of the value from environmental benefits, for Gevo over the seven-year term of the Agreement. The Agreement replaces the existing agreement signed with Delta in 2019 to purchase 10 million gallons per year and bolsters Delta's commitment to incorporating SAF into its operations.Aemetis, Inc. unveiled an offtake agreement with oneworld Alliance airline member Finnair for 17.5 million gallons of blended SAF to be delivered over the 7 year term of the agreement. The value of the contract including incentives of approximately $70 million. The blended sustainable aviation fuel to be supplied under this agreement is 40% SAF and 60% Petroleum Jet A to meet international blending standards.Sasol Chemicals and Holiferm Limited have partnered to jointly develop new biosurfactants and enable the broad commercialization of sophorolipids. Sasol also agreed to purchase the majority of sophorolipids produced at a new Holiferm manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom, which is under construction and scheduled to begin operations in early 2023. Sasol Chemicals will also fund Holiferm research and development to accelerate innovation initiatives to help meet growing demand for sustainable solutions in primary surfactants.BASF and Henkel have jointly commited to replacing fossil carbon feedstock with renewable feedstock for most products in Henkel's European Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses over the next four years following a successful pilot with Henkel's cleaning and detergent brand Love Nature in 2021. Through the cooperation, the fossil feedstock for around 110,000 tons of ingredients per year will be substituted with renewable feedstock using BASF's certified biomass balance approach. As a result, Henkel's core brands like Persil, Pril, Fa and Schauma will come with a reduced carbon footprint, avoiding around 200,000 tons of CO2 emissions in total.Groupe Berkem has launched a range of 100% bio-based alkyd resins aimed at the construction paints market.Tidal Vision Products, Inc., a leading innovator of chitosan chemistry solutions for the water treatment, textiles, and agriculture industries, has acquired ViaeX Technologies Inc., a Bay Area start-up that developed several innovative chitosan-based technologies that displace non-biodegradable and toxic materials with biomolecular solutions for several large industrial applications.Project NewsPolybion announced its bacterial cellulose facility is scaling up production, and the successful closing of a US$4.4 million (€4 million) Series A financing round led by Blue Horizon. At maximum capacity, Polybion's solar-powered, industrial-scale bacterial cellulose manufacturing facility will produce 1.1 million square feet per year of the company's proprietary biotextile Celium®. Polybion is using the new funds to expand the company's carbon-neutral bio-manufacturing facility, increase research and development efforts, and deploy Celium into consumer goods.Roquette is investing €25 million for liquid and powder polyols between 2022 and 2024 at its site in Lestrem, France. This major investment will establish a strong reliable supply and strengthen Roquette's position as a leader in polyols.Repsol began construction of Spain's first advanced biofuels plant at its Cartagena refinery. Repsol will invest a total of €200 million in this project, which will have the capacity to produce 250,000 tons per year of advanced biofuels such as biodiesel, biojet, bionaphtha, and biopropane to be used in airplanes, trucks, or cars, allowing a reduction of 900,000 tons of CO2 per year. The new facilities, that will come into operation in the first half of 2023, are part of the transformation process that Repsol has implemented at its industrial facilities to decarbonize processes and to manufacture products with a low, zero, or even a negative carbon footprint.MeaTech 3D Ltd. announced that its fully-owned Belgian subsidiary, Peace of Meat B.V., will build a 21,530 sq. ft. pilot plant in Belgium, with construction expected to commence in 2022. The new facility will expand and accelerate MeaTech's cultured avian technology and R&D capabilities and help propel the company's market entry. Recently, Peace of Meat cultivated just over 700 grams of pure chicken fat biomass in a single production run. The company believes that producing this quantity of pure cultured material in one run was a breakthrough toward potentially manufacturing cultivated chicken fat at an industrial scale.Afyren has completed construction of its AFYREN NEOXY plant at Carling Saint-Avold, France. The unit is the first industrial-scale plant for the production of biobased carboxylic acids from sugar beet co-products.CJ BIO, a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang, announced that it has begun manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) at a newly commissioned facility located in Pasuruan, Indonesia. The rated capacity of the new facility is 5,000 metric tons and will focus exclusively on manufacturing 'amorphous' PHAs (a-PHAs). Amorphous PHA is a softer, more rubbery (low glass transition temperature (Tg)) version of PHA that offers fundamentally different performance opportunities than crystalline or semi-crystalline forms of PHA. This material will see immediate use as a modifier to other polymers and biopolymers to improve functional characteristics and biodegradability, enabling 'cradle-to-grave' solutions for the broad range of markets that generate plastic waste. The technology also has the potential to develop building blocks for other performance materials made from non-fossil fuel sources. CJ BIO shipped its first material from the facility in April of this year.Funding NewsInnofibre has received $2.25 million in financial support from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED). This contribution is part of nearly $40 million in Government of Canada assistance for innovative projects in Quebec for a green, resilient economy. Innofibre is one of the Cégep de Trois-Rivières' three college centers for technology transfer (CCTTs). The mission of this world-class research center is to contribute to the technological positioning and sustainable development of the Quebec pulp and paper and biorefining industry. The contribution will enable Innofibre to cover various fees related to setting up mechanical and electrical systems, installing fiber optics, acquiring a megadome for the biomass conditioning equipment, and purchasing built-in furniture.Cultivated meat startup Finless Foods in March closed its Series B funding totaling $34 million, led by Hanwha Solutions. This brings the total raised to nearly $48 million since 2017. Additional investors include Japanese seafood company Dainichi Corp, At One Ventures, Olive Tree Capital, Justin Kan, Humboldt, Gaingels, Draper Associates, Sustainable Ocean Alliance and SOSV.Food-tech startup SuperMeat announced a new strategic partnership with Ajinomoto Co., Inc. to establish a commercially viable supply chain platform for the cultivated meat industry. As part of the partnership, Ajinomoto Co. will invest in SuperMeat as one of its corporate venture capital projects. The venture will work to tackle ongoing food and health issues in the world by combining SuperMeat's technologies and expertise in cultivated meat, with Ajinomoto Co.'s proprietary R&D technologies in the biotechnology field and fermentation. Through this strategic partnership, Ajinomoto Co. and SuperMeat will create and validate commercially viable production and value chain solutions helping to accelerate commercialization of the cultivated meat industry while solidifying consumer and manufacturer acceptance.MeliBio, Inc. announced a $5.7 million seed round to scale its precision fermentation platform for producing honey. The round is led by Astanor Ventures, with participation of existing and new investors. The company's total funding up to date reaches $7.2 million.Bridgestone Americas has been awarded a research grant by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute to advance its optimization of guayule, a drought resistant, desert shrub that shows promise as a new, domestic source of natural rubber for tire production. Bridgestone has spent more than a decade researching guayule rubber for use in tires. Bridgestone launched its guayule research initiative in 2012, when it broke ground on a guayule processing and research center in Mesa, Arizona. The company also operates a 281-acre guayule farm in Eloy, Arizona. Bridgestone has invested more than $100 million in its efforts to commercialize guayule, achieving major milestones such as producing the first tire made from guayule-derived rubber in 2015, and continued expansion of its guayule molecular breeding program. Currently, Bridgestone is expanding the number of local farmers it works with in Central Arizona, who are working to convert their farmland to harvest guayule, which has served as a solution to previously failing crops due to growing water shortages affecting the environment. Through this collaboration with local farmers, 200 new acres of guayule are expected to be planted this year.HUGO BOSS has entered into a long-term, strategic partnership with HeiQ Plc. Through this partnership, HUGO BOSS is investing in their new apparel technology for the production of a sustainable cellulosic yarn. HeiQ AeoniQ technology enables the production of a sustainable, circular and closed-loop recyclable cellulosic textile yarn. This high performance yarn is on par with conventional fabrics like polyester and nylon thanks due to its tensile strength and elasticity while also having a far better ecological footprint. Whereas polyester and nylon fibers are based on fossil fuels, a limited resource, HeiQ AeoniQ yarn is made from bio-based cellulose, a renewable raw material, that is capturing carbon from the atmosphere. The $5 million investment will support expansion of the AeoniQ technology, as it promises great potential for a more sustainable fashion industry.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 18Issue 3Jun 2022 InformationCopyright 2022, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Science and Business Developments.Industrial Biotechnology.Jun 2022.110-114.http://doi.org/10.1089/ind.2022.29285.rcoPublished in Volume: 18 Issue 3: June 15, 2022Online Ahead of Print:June 8, 2022PDF download