In the Netherlands, AkzoNobel and Photanol are planning to build a demonstration plant for Photanol’s cyanobacteria technology.
Photanol’s process uses cyanobacteria to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into organic acids with applications in biodegradable plastics, personal care products, and chemical intermediates.
Peter Nieuwenhuizen, Chief Technology Officer of AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals, says Photanol’s technology will ultimately be used to produce a low-cost intermediate for one of AkzoNobel’s businesses. The plant will be build at Delfzijl, the Netherlands by AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals, which partnered with Photanol on the technology in 2014. The plant is expected to be completed in 2020.
“The Photanol team is keen to prove to the world that we can make a big difference by producing clean chemicals while reducing the CO2 burden on the environment,” Véronique de Bruijn, CEO of Photanol BV, tells Chemical Engineering.
New investors in Photanol, including GROEIfonds, Innovatiefonds Noord-Nederland and Investeringsfonds Groningen, are a “testament” to the potential of the technology, De Bruijn adds.