Page 164 - CW E-Magazine (16-7-2024)

News from Abroad

COLLABORATION FOR CIRCULARITY
Carbios and Zhink Group plan PET biorecycling

facility in China

French biotechnology firm, Car-
bios, and Zhink Group, a China-based
PET and textiles company, has signed
a joint Letter of Intent (LoI) to build a
biorecycling plant in China using Car-
bios’ enzymatic depolymerisation tech-
nology to serve the global market.

The proposed plant, with a mini-
mum processing capacity of 50-ktpa of
prepared PET waste, would contribute
to accelerating a circular economy for
plastic and textiles.

Carbios said the licensing contract
will help to establish its presence in
China, the leading producer of PET
in the world. “With 67-million tons of Carbios’ enzymatic depolymerisa- two firms would allow Zhink to increase
PET produced annually, representing tion technology enables efficient and its recycled PET capacities and meet its
61% of global production, China is solvent-free recycling of PET plastic sustainable competitiveness objectives.
the world’s largest PET producer. With and textile waste into virgin-like pro- For Carbios, this agreement marks a
regional and global demand for recycled ducts. The circular recycling solution can significant step in the deployment of its
PET growing, China also has the process all types of PET waste including technology worldwide and roll-out of its
potential to take the lead in recycled hard-to-recycle waste (such as opaque licensing model to achieve its ambition
PET (r-PET) production,” a Carbios and coloured bottles, multi-layer food to become a leading technology provi-
press statement said. In 2021, 58% of trays and textile waste) while reducing der in the recycling of PET by 2035.
the world’s r-PET was consumed in CO emissions by 57% compared with
2
Asia (with 38% in China) underscoring virgin PET production, the company said. Carbios’ first industrial-scale enzy-
this region’s importance both as a major matic PET recycling plant is currently
producer and consumer. The initial agreement between the under construction in Longlaville, France.
RENEWABLE CHEMISTRY
New Energy Blue and ARCO/Murray partner to build

biomass refineries

US-based clean energy developer, refinery in Mason City, Iowa, to pro- local permits to proceed and conducted
New Energy Blue, and American con- cess corn stalks into second-generation field trials of new harvesting methods
struction firm, ARCO/Murray, have fuel ethanol and clean lignin at large and machinery. Earlier this year, the pro-
announced a partnership to build out commercial capacity. The partners ject entered the final investment deci-
the New Energy Biomass Refinery-de- have agreed to a $650-mn construction sion (FID) phase. The partners plan to
signed platform across the US Midwest. contract. break ground later this year and start up
the refinery in 2026.
ARCO/Murray will construct the Last year, New Energy Blue com-
flagship New Energy Freedom biomass pleted the design engineering, obtained The significant economic impact

164 Chemical Weekly July 16, 2024

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