Dutch collaboration to produce bioplastics from selected organic waste streams

27-Jan-09

Two Netherlands-based companies including advanced R&D group Avantium and food ingredient producer Royal Cosun have collaborated to develop a specific process for the production of a new generation of bioplastics and biofuels from selected organic waste streams. Avantium is developing these bioplastics and biofuels under the name 'Furanics'. Within the collaboration, Cosun will focus on the selection, isolation and purification of suitable components from agricultural waste streams. Avantium will continue to focus on the development of an efficient, chemically catalyzed production process. The duration of the first phase of the collaboration will be approximately two years. The collaboration between Cosun and Avantium combines the complementary knowledge and expertise from two important Dutch economic sectors to achieve new, sustainable products and processes based on biomass. For a number of years, Avantium has been developing "Furanics", a new generation of bioplastics and biofuels. Furanics can be produced from biomass such as sugars and other carbohydrates. Avantium's Furanics biofuel program aims to develop a new generation of biofuels with both excellent properties (such as high energy density and mixability with conventional fuels) and competitive production costs.