Design rules for the biobased industry, #3: preserve structure
Petrochemical industry breaks down the feedstock into its simplest components, and subsequently starts piecing all ‘building blocks’ together in order to arrive at the required products. Biobased industry will never be able to compete if it follows this same logic. In fact, it should do quite the opposite: preserve structure along the process, as much
Elon Musk and a lot of batteries
“Cheap batteries will revolutionise the renewable energy market,” wrote ex-Secretary of State for the UK Chris Huhne past Sunday in the Guardian. For the supply of renewable energy it’s usually not stocks but flows that get the attention. For lack of a reservoir of either solar or wind energy that we can use at will,
Design rules for the biobased industry, #1: reduce capital costs and create jobs
Will biomass ever be able to compete across a broad range of products with fossil feedstock, that is so much easier to recover and has such excellent economies of scale? In his valedictory speech as professor in biomass valorisation, delivered last January, Johan Sanders (Wageningen UR) went into this general question. His answer is: yes,
Glycix, the biodegradable thermoset polymer that will conquer the world
Researchers of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have made a new step in the development of glycix, the only thermoset plastic that is both biobased and biodegradable. All inflexible plastic items used in homes and buildings can be made from this polymer: computer and telephone casings, insulation foam, trays, tables, lamps…. This is a major
Innovations in green chemistry, will they ever come?
There is a very strange body of regulation for biobased innovation subsidies. These rules seem to be exclusively intended to direct biomass and agricultural wastes to the energy sector, ignoring higher-value applications in green chemistry. Will that endanger further development of green chemistry? That might very well be the case. Once again, the ‘cascade model’
Rob Baan (Koppert Cress): Horticulture should be more innovative
‘Frontrunners in horticulture should concentrate on fresh products that contain ingredients for a healthy diet and would be a remedy against diseases like cancer, obesity and diabetes2. The Netherlands have the best horticultural sector in the world, but misses an enormous opportunity here.’ Says Rob Baan, CEO of Koppert Cress in Monster, the important horticultural
Know-how as a location factor for the biobased chemical industry
Biobased resources and biochemical processes will change the appearance of chemical industry. Changes may occur in scale and in location. There will be a tendency towards a smaller scale. But know-how, the skill of process operators, might become an important location factor. A regional basis The logistics of biobased feedstock differs widely from that of
Circular economy: do not merely close the chain, but slow it down as well
‘Cradle-to-cradle (C2C) shows some undesirable developments, in particular in the process of awarding certificates. C2C has become a business model, and the famous certificate promotes recycling and therefore discarding of products. Let us prefer products that last instead, products that we can repair and with which we can have an enduring relationship.’ Says Frans de
