In the Netherlands, Avantium is on track to open a pilot biorefinery at Delfzijl in August. The pilot plant will convert plant-based feedstocks into high-purity industrial sugars and lignin.
The sugar can then be used for fermentation-based production of chemicals and materials, while the lignin will be used for energy generation.
“We are thrilled to open our pilot biorefinery, which will enable the use of non-food biomass, such as forestry residue, to make many products people use every day,” Tom Van Aken, CEO of Avantium says. “This is a milestone in our work to support the transition to a circular economy, and we are already looking beyond the pilot phase. We have a consortium of partners committed to developing a commercial-scale plant.” The consortium includes AkzoNobel, RWE, Staatsbosbeheer and Chemport Europe. The province of Groningen has contributed a €1.8 million ($2.09 million) subsidy for the plant.