Page 156 - CW E-Magazine (27-2-2024)

News from Abroad

SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY
Covestro begins operating pilot plant for bio-based

aniline

German polymer and chemicals investment in the pilot plant at the
firm, Covestro, has put a pilot plant Chempark Leverkusen.
into operations at its Leverkusen site in
Germany to produce aniline entirely Use of biotechnology
from plant biomass. The project showcases the potential
contribution of the industrial (white)
Initially, large quantities of bio- biotechnology to plastics production: in
based aniline will be produced there, so the new process, a customised microorga-
that the new technology can be further nism helps convert an industrial sugar
developed for production and trans- extracted from plants into an inter-
ferred to an industrial scale. mediate product through fermentation.
a circular, bio-based economy, and I am This takes place under milder and thus
In the plastics industry, aniline is very proud that we have now succeeded more environmentally compatible con-
used to produce MDI, among other in making the jump to the next techno- ditions than in conventional processes.
things. This, in turn, is used for insu- logical level,” said Dr. Thorsten Dreier, In a second step, chemical catalysis of
lating foam, for example, which saves Chief Technology Officer of Covestro. the intermediate product then creates
energy in buildings and reduces the aniline with 100% plant-based carbon.
CO footprint. Covestro developed the process,
2
which has already won several awards, Around 6-mtpa of aniline are cur-
“Until now, aniline has been pro- together with partners in the scientific rently produced worldwide, with the
duced from fossil raw materials such community. Compared to conventional volume growing by approximately 3-5%
as petroleum, which releases CO and technology, the process leads to a greatly per year on average. With a production
2
fuels climate change. With our new pro- improved CO footprint of aniline. capacity of more than 1-mtpa, Covestro
2
cess, we are contributing to building up Covestro said it has made a “seven-digit” is one of the leading aniline producers.
Ineos Inovyn launches ultra-low carbon chlor-alkali

range

European vinyls major, Ineos their own market needs. The range is
Inovyn, has announced a new Ultra certified under the ISCC (International
Low Carbon (ULC) range of chlor- Sustainability & Carbon Certification)
alkali products that reduce the carbon PLUS scheme.
footprint of caustic soda, caustic potash
and chlorine by up to 70% compared to “Ineos Inovyn’s standard chlor-
industry averages. alkali portfolio already offers 30% lower
greenhouse gas (GHG) emission than
The new range uses renewable the European industry average. With
energy sources to power Ineos Inovyn the launch of our new ULC range this
manufacturing sites. The first produc- wind turbines. Customers using the gap increases to 70% for caustic soda,
tion sites include Rafnes in Norway, ULC chlor-alkali range will now be helping customers meet their ambitious
which uses local hydroelectric power, able to significantly reduce their scope GHG reduction targets,” said Mr. Arnaud
and Antwerp in Belgium, where elec- 3 emissions, to develop sustainable Valenduc, Business Director of Ineos
tricity comes directly from North Sea downstream products which address Inovyn.

156 Chemical Weekly February 27, 2024

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