RGM Group and Paques Biomaterials partner to produce PHA from paper process water

In the Netherlands, ESKA, a recycled solid board manufacturer and part of RDM Group, has partnered with Paques Biomaterials to develop the world’s first full-scale biomass plant that converts paper process water into biodegradable biopolymers.

The paper industry is increasingly incorporating starch—primarily sourced from potatoes—to enhanced product strength. The starch dissolves into the process water, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for recycling.

The partnership will use the organic material from the process water generated at ESKA’s Hoogezand facility. The material will be fermented and aerated in biological reactors, creating a specific biomass that will be dried into a powder that can be used by Paques Biomaterials as a feedstock to produce biopolymer polyhydroxyalkanoate.  

The plant will produce around 2,000 tons of PHA annually.