Subject to final agreements and customary conditions, including regulatory approvals, Umicore and Volkswagen will establish a joint venture in precursor and cathode material production in Europe. This will begin in 2025 with initial production of 20 GWh/year for the plant in Salzgitter, Germany, and should grow to 160 GWh/year by 2030, enough to power about 2.2 million full electric vehicles.
Ineos subsidiary Inovyn has become the world’s first commercial producer of bio-attributed epichlorohydrin from renewable feedstock. Branded Reodrin, this is made at a site in Tavaux, France. Applications are expected in sectors including composites for wind turbines, wastewater treatment and lightweight coatings for electric vehicles.
The UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that it has committed to “exploring alternative arrangements for UK REACH transitional registrations … in order to support chemical businesses whilst upholding the highest standards to safeguard public health and the environment”.
Through its own venture capital fund of Solvay Ventures, Solvay has made an unspecified investment in US-based DMC (Dynamic Metabolic Control) Biotechnologies. The $34-million Series B funding round also included Cibus Enterprise, Capricorn Partners, Sofinnova Partners, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, SCG, Boulder Ventures and Michelin.
Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 has established the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). This is a €2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) that funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe.
CDMO CordenPharma is planning to invest heavily in all its platforms in terms of both capacities and capabilities, according to Dr Stephen Houldsworth, global head of platform management and marketing, who spoke with SCM at CPhI Worldwide in Milan.
BASF is bundling its activities in renewable energies under the umbrella of BASF Renewable Energy from the start of 2022. Led by Horatio Evers, this subsidiary will focus on supplying European sites with electricity from renewable energies, electricity trading and global consulting.
