Degussa to invest 50 mln euros over the next five years in renewable raw materials

16-Mar-06

The chemical industry already meets up to 8% of its demand for feedstock materials with renewable raw materials. This market is poised for good growth potential as strategies and technological tools are being developed to gain a further increase in this share. New developments are underway in white biotechnology - ranging from enzymes and microorganisms that convert raw materials such as sugar or starches into valuable chemical building blocks, all the way to "bio-refineries." These use the entire biomass of renewable raw materials, and convert them fully into chemicals, active substances and fuels and gasoline. Degussa plans to invest 50 million euros over the next five years in developing new biotechnological products and processes based mainly on renewable raw materials together with university and industry partners. Degussa's activities i n white biotechnology are being supported by the government of North Rhine-Westphalia in the form of a public-private partnership.