“BioHub”, one of Europe’s leading projects aimed at developing innovative solutions for the performance plastics and speciality chemistry markets, has been wrapped up. Launched in 2006 by starch producer Roquette Frères (Lestrem / France; www.roquette.com), the programme successfully developed isosorbide and biosuccinic acid for the manufacture of performance plastics and plasticisers.

The success translated into two plants currently in operation. The first – producing isosorbide sold under the “Polysorb” brand name – was commissioned by Roquette earlier this year (see Plasteurope.com of 17.04.2015). The second, a biosuccinic acid production plant operated by Reverdia (Delft / The Netherlands; www.reverdia.com), Roquette’s 50:50 joint venture with DSM (Sittard / The Netherlands; www.dsm.com), began operations in Italy in late 2012 (see Plasteurope.com of 18.12.2012). The two plants have nameplate capacities of 20,000 t/y and 10,000 t/y respectively.

BioHub received financial backing from investment group Bpifrance (Maisons-Alfort Cedex / France; www.bpifrance.fr). Other partners aside from DSM included Arkema (Colombes / France; www.arkema.com), BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com), Solvay (Brussels / Belgium; www.solvay.com), Tergal Fibres (Gauchy / France), Sidel (Hünenberg / Switzerland; www.sidel.com), Eurovia/Vinci (Rueil-Malmaison Cedex / France; www.vinci.com), Metabolic Explorer (Saint-Beauzire / France; www.metabolic-explorer.com), INSA Lyon (Villeurbanne Cedex / France; www.insa-lyon.fr), INSA Rouen (Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray Cedex / France; www.insa-rouen.fr), L'Institut des molécules et de la matière condensée de Lille and Rice University (Houston, Texas / USA; www.rice.edu).