Page 138 - CW E-Magazine (24-10-2023)

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SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY
Equipments
Equipments
Schutzen Chemical wins ISC3 Innovation Challenge
Schutzen Chemical, a start-up focussed
on developing bio-based and biodegrad-
able speciality chemicals solutions, was
awarded the fi rst place at an innovation
challenge organised as part of the 5th Inter-
national Conference on Chemicals Man-
agement (ICCM) held in Bonn, Germany
in September.

The Investor Forum 2023 of the Inter-
national Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative
Centre (ISC3) aimed to promote sustainable
chemistry through the ‘ISC3 Innovation
Challenge’ by inviting 18 selected startup The 2023 Award on the topic of “Sustainable jury with its development of 3-in-1 cap-
companies from around the world to show- Chemistry and Agriculture” was won by sules to reduce agrochemicals in agriculture.
case their innovative work contributing to Schutzen. The company has developed Molepse Bioresources (Kenya) won the
sustainability and circular economy and to new technologies for processing polymer “Special Regional Impact” category with
link with potential investors. The innovation from tamarind seed and gaining desired pro- multitarget pesticides to protect stored grain
challenge, which spanned over 12 months, perties that enables its use in textile printing and the “Audience” award went to Natupla
saw 113 short listed start-ups being screened and dyeing processes. This makes textiles (Colombia) for developing bio-based, bio-
and selected few getting to pitch their pro- products more sustainable, as the Schutzen degradable materials and adhesives. The
ducts at the Bonn event. International repre- solution is able to replace hazardous chemi- founder of the German start-up ClimEt-
sentatives from politics, industry, NGOs, cals used in textile treatments. The tama- San-OnTheGround received an “honour-
science, environmental associations and rind seed-based products can also be used able mention” from the jury as best female
investors met the 18 start-ups to talk about as a natural alternative in skin & hair care founder for her business idea and contribu-
meaningful cooperation and to award the products, as well as in the paints & coatings tion to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
most innovative ideas and solutions in the industry. For the ‘2024 Innovation Challenge’, ISC3
fi eld of sustainable chemistry at the fi nals is looking for start-ups from around the
of the ‘ISC3 Innovation Challenge’, which In the “Special Impact” category, Makabi world with the best ideas in the fi eld of
is endowed with a total of 25,000 euros. (Croatia) convinced the international “Sustainable Chemistry and Textiles”.
PROJECT UPDATE

Numaligarh Refi nery’s bamboo-based biorefi nery 43

to start operations in March

Numaligarh Refi nery Ltd. (NRL), a with gasoline to 20% by 2025. The bamboo cultivation. “There are no buyers of
subsidiary of Oil India Ltd., is planning to Assam biorefi nery – which cost NRL and its bamboo in the region as paper mills have
start ethanol production at its biorefi n- Finnish partners Chempolis and Fortum, closed down. So, plenty of bamboo is
ery in the Assam from March, according around Rs. 4,000-crore – is India’s fi rst to available,” Mr. Phukan said at an indus-
to the company’s Managing Director, use bamboo as feedstock and is expected try event. He informed that the company
Mr. Bhaskar Phukan. to annually produce 50,000 tonnes of etha- would get necessary certifi cates to be able
nol, 16,000 tonnes of furfural and 11000 to export furfural to the European markets
India is aiming to reduce its crude oil tonnes acetic acid. Furfural is used for after meeting local demand. “We are ex-
consumption by switching to sustainable binding components such as adhesive. ploring smaller size projects in Mizoram
alternatives such as bio fuels. The coun- NRL has a 50% stake in the project. and Meghalaya,” he said, without giving
try plans to double the mixing of ethanol India’s northeastern region is rich with a timeline for the new projects.

138 Chemical Weekly October 24, 2023

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