Page 186 - CW E-Magazine (28-11-2023)

Special Report

Source: IDTechEx.
niche, like polyhydroxyalkanoates ing of chemicals, materials, and from BASF to Covestro and others,
(PHAs). These plastics, though much energy using living cell factories, like have highlighted their interest in
smaller in production scale currently, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. The value using white biotechnology to grow
are quickly scaling to meet cus- proposition of white biotechnology their sustainable polymers portfolio.
tomer demand, which is forecast in extends beyond its use of bio-based
IDTechEx’s ‘Bioplastics 2023-2033: feedstock, as biomanufacturing pro- Still, this is a field littered with
Technology, Market, Players, and cesses can use less energy, generate prior failed attempts at making com-
Forecasts’ report, and they are begin- less waste, and potentially create bio- mercial production of industrial
ning to reach important milestones. degradable products that are better chemicals via biotechnology techno-
For example, the past year saw the de- for the environment. While this area logically feasible and economically
but of the world’s first biodegradable isn’t necessarily ‘new’, with indus- viable. In fact, 2023 saw an early
water bottle, made by Cove, which trial production of lactic acid (used to trailblazer in synthetic biology for
consisted of PHAs. Expect to see more produce biodegradable polymers like chemicals and fuels, Amyris, file for
of these milestones and announce- polylactic acid (PLA)) dating back bankruptcy. It is difficult to overcome
ments as the bioplastics industry, decades, there is a recent influx of the biological and process challenges
induced by sustainable polymer demand, technology enablers, namely the tools to making industrial production of
grows to become a more competitive and techniques offered by synthetic chemicals through biotechnology fea-
alternative to incumbent plastics. biology, that is making the industrial sible, on top of the need of making
production of commodity chemicals biotechnology products competitive
One emerging area that looks to and precursors to plastics much more within the overall chemicals market.
convert such bio-based feedstocks achievable than before.
into commodity chemicals and IDTechEx expects that this field
materials is that of white biotechnology, Synthetic biology offers the will see further fluctuations, as com-
also called industrial biomanufactu- potential to bypass the natural limi- panies attempt to scale their pro-
ring. White biotechnology, as defined tations of cell factories like E.coli to duction to profitability with varied
and described in IDTechEx’s ‘White make them technically more efficient success. Still, depending on the end
Biotechnology 2024-2034’ report, is and thus economically more competi- product being considered, the bio-
the industrial production and process- tive. Numerous chemical companies, manufacturing process, technical para-

186 Chemical Weekly November 28, 2023

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