ANELLOTECH
Bioplastics collaboration with Suntory moves ahead / Commercial plant planned / Discussions underway with potential partners
Green technology company Anellotech (Pearl River, New York / USA; www.anellotech.com) and leading consumer beverage firm Suntory Holdings (Tokyo / Japan; www.suntory.com) have entered the next phase of their partnership to develop and commercialise 100% bio-based plastics used in drinks bottles.
Suntory retails many market-leading soft drinks including Orangina, Schweppes, Ribena and Lucozade, and major alcohol brands Jim Beam and Courvoisier, among others. Currently, it uses 30% plant-derived material for its Tennensui mineral water brand.
The collaboration with Anellotech to pursue a 100% bio-bottle began in 2012, with Suntory joining IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN; Rueil-Malmaison / France; www.ifpenergiesnouvelles.com), Axens (Rueil-Malmaison; www.axens.net), Johnson Matthey (London / UK; www.matthey.com) and a multinational corporate investor who has provided funds so far of USD 7m, the first tranche of a total USD 10m.
Following verification of the continuous operation of TCat-8, Anellotech’s testing facility, Suntory plans to progress studies for developing the first commercial-scale Bio-TCat plant. The alliance is developing bio-aromatics, including paraxylene (PX) and benzene, from non-food biomass to produce PET – see Plasteurope.com of 05.06.2014.
Anellotech announced last month that it had completed construction of TCat-8 and the unit is now ready for installation. The plant will use a novel catalyst being developed jointly by Anellotech and Johnson Matthey and groundbreaking is scheduled to take place late this month.
David Sudolsky, president and CEO of Anellotech, said the company was already doing preliminary work with some of its alliance partners to identify potential feedstocks, sites and operating partners for an initial commercial plant. “With Suntory’s focus on bio-paraxylene, Anellotech can now offer a unique opportunity to new partners interested in bio-benzene-chain derivatives. This includes nylon, polycarbonate, linear alkyl benzene for laundry detergent, and styrene for styrene butadiene rubber,” he said.
Anellotech’s direct biomass-to aromatics technology uses just one fluid-bed reactor, avoiding the generation of a highly oxygenated bio-oil intermediate product often seen in multi-step pyrolysis processes. This, said the company, prevents the need to add substantial amounts of costly hydrogen.
Suntory retails many market-leading soft drinks including Orangina, Schweppes, Ribena and Lucozade, and major alcohol brands Jim Beam and Courvoisier, among others. Currently, it uses 30% plant-derived material for its Tennensui mineral water brand.
The collaboration with Anellotech to pursue a 100% bio-bottle began in 2012, with Suntory joining IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN; Rueil-Malmaison / France; www.ifpenergiesnouvelles.com), Axens (Rueil-Malmaison; www.axens.net), Johnson Matthey (London / UK; www.matthey.com) and a multinational corporate investor who has provided funds so far of USD 7m, the first tranche of a total USD 10m.
Following verification of the continuous operation of TCat-8, Anellotech’s testing facility, Suntory plans to progress studies for developing the first commercial-scale Bio-TCat plant. The alliance is developing bio-aromatics, including paraxylene (PX) and benzene, from non-food biomass to produce PET – see Plasteurope.com of 05.06.2014.
Anellotech announced last month that it had completed construction of TCat-8 and the unit is now ready for installation. The plant will use a novel catalyst being developed jointly by Anellotech and Johnson Matthey and groundbreaking is scheduled to take place late this month.
David Sudolsky, president and CEO of Anellotech, said the company was already doing preliminary work with some of its alliance partners to identify potential feedstocks, sites and operating partners for an initial commercial plant. “With Suntory’s focus on bio-paraxylene, Anellotech can now offer a unique opportunity to new partners interested in bio-benzene-chain derivatives. This includes nylon, polycarbonate, linear alkyl benzene for laundry detergent, and styrene for styrene butadiene rubber,” he said.
Anellotech’s direct biomass-to aromatics technology uses just one fluid-bed reactor, avoiding the generation of a highly oxygenated bio-oil intermediate product often seen in multi-step pyrolysis processes. This, said the company, prevents the need to add substantial amounts of costly hydrogen.
22.01.2016 Plasteurope.com [233163-0]
Published on 22.01.2016