Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Most bulk biobased chemical production currently arises from existing food
crop supply and processing chains, such as starch for food applications, vegetable
oil refining and latterly bioethanol and biodiesel production. Typically, only part
of the crop feedstock material is used in such processes (carbohydrates and oils)
and further development is required to unlock the potential of the untapped
cellulosic and lignin residues that offer potential for both sugar and aromatic
monomer production. The technology for this is currently at pilot plant scale.
Investigating means of biomass and biomass component separation and
segregation may provide further useful chemical building blocks.
New forms of biomass, including algal biorefinery platforms, also offer the
potential to increase the range of chemical materials produced at a globally
exploitable scale.
The development of synthetic biology, fermentation technologies and bio-
catalytic processes will further add to the range of tools and products available to
industry to utilise base sugar feedstocks to support production of a range of
different chemicals and materials.
All of the above requires significant investment by industry and public funding,
both in basic and applied research and in the building and sharing of knowledge.
Investment in so-called green technologies by governments is seen as a means of
developing high-tech industries and associated high-value manufacturing and
technology jobs. The ongoing current integration of chemical and biotechnology
corporate interests also demonstrates the strength of commercial interest in and
commitment to developing the biobased chemical sector.
In the EU, Horizon 2020 is the main financial instrument supporting research
and innovation (from 2013 to 2020); €4.7 billion (£4 billion) has been allocated to
address the challenges facing the development of biobased industries and biotech-
nology. Much of this will have to be levered from industry to generate successful
projects. To support this, the Biobased Industries Initiative has been established as
a public-private partnership between the European Commission and the Biobased
Industries Consortium (BIC). Its aim is to support research and innovation to
encourage uptake of renewable biological resources. It aims to achieve this by
encouraging partnerships between researchers and the private sector to fund and
provide technical resources to address the challenges facing commercialisation in
the biobased sector. The BIC brings more than 60 European companies, clusters
and organisations from technology, industry, agriculture and forestry together to
support the development of partnerships.
8.5.1.2
Demonstration Projects
In addition to the above support for strategic and near-market research, there is
also a need for pre-competitive support to aid the demonstration of new
technologies, essential for building confidence and evidence of proof of concept
at a significant pre-commercial scale.
