Evonik has revealed that it aims to generate at least €1 billion/year in additional sales a year from circular products and technologies, both in its own processes and support its customers in the transition to circular applications. The company’s strategy in this arena is based on multiple initiatives in which it claims that it is already contributing to the circular economy, notably:

* Further strengthening its activities in additives and specialities for the circular economy

* Making greater use of raw materials based on recycled materials, biomass and CO₂

Sona Dadhania, senior technology analyst at IDTechEx, shares some highlights from a new report

Origin Materials, which describes itself as a carbon-negative materials company has started up the first commercial-scale biobased chloromethyl furfural (CMF) plant at Sarnia, Ontario. CEO John Bissell said that he expects the  products “to be transformative for the chemical industry and how the world generally makes things”.

Greentech firm Afyren has announced the industrial commissioning of its Afyren Neoxy plant on schedule and within budget. The plant at Carling Saint-Avold in eastern France began construction in 2H 2020. It is the first industrial-scale factory for the production of biobased carboxylic acids from sugar beet co-products.

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.

DSM has agreed to acquire the biobased flavour and fragrance (F&F) intermediates business of synthetic biotechnology company Amyris. This comprises seven products, of which four are “already generating meaningful sales”, two newly launched and one under development. They will be added to the DSM’s Personal Care & Aroma Ingredients activities, extending its offer to the F&F and cosmetics industries.