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Urbiofin project coming to a close

30th September 2021

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington

The EU-funded Urbiofin project has stated that it is ready to demonstrate innovative processes in bioethanol production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and its use in chemical building blocks, proving the techno-economic and environmental viability of an integrated biorefinery.

This follows a five-year process that progressed from laboratory-scale to pilot- and demonstration-scale trials. The bioethanol produced will be employed as a feedstock for the production of ‘second generation’ bioethylene for gas ripening application. The project will demonstrate innovative processes in the production of volatile fatty acids from anaerobic digestion of the waste and its elongation into medium chain fatty acids to produce short- and medium-chain PHA biopolymers.

The pure biomethane produced by a microalgae photobioreactor will be further treated with the aim of removing volatile methyl siloxanes. In addition, the project will demonstrate innovative processes in the production of bio-fertilisers from microalgae and waste.

UPL to split out specialities

Indian agrochemicals giant UPL has announced plans to transfer its speciality chemicals business, including agrochemical

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Andrew Warmington

AI for SAPs

Together with Algo Artis, Japan’s Nippon Shokubai has developed an algorithm-based means for the production

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Andrew Warmington

Nippon Shokubai's API Facility in Japan

Nucleic acid API boost

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Andrew Warmington

Flamma's facility in Dalian

Flamma opens in China

Italian CDMO Flamma Group has officially opened its new cGMP plant at Dalian, China, where

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Andrew Warmington

GL Chemtec has opened a new kilo lab

GL Chemtec completes kilo lab

CDMO GL Chemtec has announced the completion of a cGMP kilo lab at Oakville, Ontario

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Andrew Warmington

Sterling's facility at Deeside, UK

CDMOs in ADC investments

Five CDMOs across the world have separately announced investments in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Piramal Pharma is

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Andrew Warmington

Afyren Neoxy plant

Milestones for two greentech firms

Afyren has achieved continuous production at its Afyren Neoxy plant at Clermont-Ferrand (pictured)

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Andrew Warmington

Origin by Ocean derives its materials from sargassum

CABB in algae biorefinery deal

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Andrew Warmington

First waste-based biosurfactants

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Andrew Warmington

Aether to supply Seqens

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Andrew Warmington

New model for biocatalysts

BASF, the Austrian Research Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB) and the University of Graz in

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Andrew Warmington

CBE JU funds 31 more projects

The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), a €2 billion partnership between the EU

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Andrew Warmington

Ribbon cutting ceremony at Lubrizol's new office

Lubrizol opens London office

Lubrizol has opened a new office in Hammersmith, London. This will be home to a

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Andrew Warmington

Sudarshan to buy Heubach

India’s Sudarshan Chemical Industries (SCIL) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Heubach

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Andrew Warmington

Alliance in natural fragrances

Sensegen, a US-based specialist in biotech-enabled fragrances, notably a new class of natural musk raw

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Andrew Warmington

Croda breaks ground in China

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Andrew Warmington

CCT collaboration for Givaudan

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Andrew Warmington

REACH Authorisation

Candidate List ‘reaches’ 250

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has added three more substances to the Candidate List of

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Andrew Warmington

Staff at Brenntag's newly acquired Czech site

CO2-free distribution site first

Brenntag has officially inaugurated what it claims to be the first CO2-emission-free chemical distribution site

Submitted by:

Andrew Warmington