NNFCC The Bioeconomy Consultants Newsletter 27 Summer 2013

Industrial Biotechnology Special Issue

UK targets growth in industrial biotechnology capitalising on this new market opportunity? Industrial biotechnology could be worth £12 billion to the UK economy by 2025, but just how is the UK ndustrial biotechnology (IB) – Further South in Yorkshire there is the Biorenewable Development developed a 1000 litre pilot scale Isystems and processes to Centre (BDC) in York, which brewerypartners withinin the project the centre. and have producethe use material, of biological chemicals substances, and opened in 2012. Facilities at the energy – is expected to play a vital BDC are open-access and arranged Further East, Norwich Research carbon economy in the UK. Park (NRP) is home to the Institute role in the creation of a new low includein modules a 30kg/hour allowing flexibilitymicrowave in Centre, which contains a steam the design of processes. Facilities explosionof Food Research pilot plant. The pilot report “IB 2025 – Maximising UK and 10 litre supercritical carbon plant can be used to convert According to a Government funded dioxidepyrolysis extraction unit, 42 litre system. fermenter lignocellulosic into next Biotechnology in a Low Carbon Economy”,Opportunities the fromIB market Industrial could In the Midlands, the Food and using a thermal/hydrolysis process be worth up to £12bn to UK whichgeneration operates at up and to 230°C.chemicals businesses by 2025. The UK already has a thriving research conductsBiofuel Innovation research onCentre brewing, (FBIC) In Wales, the Beacon Centre is at The University of Nottingham production. Brewers SABMiller are Beacon is a collaboration between and development sector for IB food processing and Aberystwyth,a focal point for Bangor IB research. and Swansea and there are five major pilot Universities. Aberystwyth boasts a facilities spread across the UK, offering expertise in scale-up and processing plant. While Bangor commercialisation of processes. plug and play, multi-feedstock pilot National Industrial Biotechnologies In the North East of England, the hosts a pressurised refining and analyticalpilot scale support.facility coupled with Facility at the Centre for Process supercritical fluid and chemical/ toIndustries 10,000 litres (CPI) scale. offers These process can beexpertise used by and companies fermenters to ensure from 20 making the UK an attractive Together these facilities are processes work robustly and cost- companies to do business. place for industrial biotechnology effectively on a large-scale. | |www.nnfcc.co.uk| +44 (0)1904 435182 Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, Belgium

Coupons worth €10,000 each to help What is the potential market size for SME’s unlock potential of bio-based Industrial Biotechnology? technologies

new scheme has been launched to help small Gestimated to be between £35bn and £53bn A and medium enterprises in North West Europe lobal sales of industrial biotechnology are technology to industrial production. to(3 growto 4 per to betweencent of global £150 chemicaland £360bn industry by 2025. sales). assess the feasibility of taking a bio-based idea or Under different scenarios these sales are predicted to €10,000 (£8,400) each, which can be used to to remain relatively modest in the short-term, a SME’s can apply for ‘Innovation Coupons’, worth up strongWhile the position UK IB in manufacturing this knowledge-intensive sector is likely area would allow UK-based companies to increase their access the state-of-the-art technology and expertise of the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant in Ghent, Belgium. share of the much larger global market. The pilot plant is a flexible and multi-purpose cent per year or between £4bn and £12bn by facility which can be used for developing bio-based 2025.UK IB Thissales would are projected be equivalent to grow to by between 5 to 11 7 per and products and processes. Processes being tested at processingthe plant include technologies. biorefining, biomass pre-treatment, biocatalysis, fermentation and downstream 16 per cent of total chemical industry sales. The scheme is provided by Bio Base NWE, which launched in April 2013. Bio Base NWE is a €6.2m project funded under the INTERREG IVB NWE framework programme to support the development of the bio-based economy in North West Europe. small or medium enterprise in the UK, Ireland, Consultancy at NNFCC Belgium,The ‘Innovation Luxembourg, Coupons’ The scheme Netherlands, is open Switzerland, to any Northern France or Western Germany. Want to understand how you can industrial biotechnology market? Then www.biobasenwe.org take advantage of the growing For full details on the scheme and how to apply visit leading consultancy including; get inFuture touch market with us. analysis We offer industry Sustainability strategy development • Technology evaluation • • NNFCC. Contact Dr Adrian Higson, Head of Biorefining at Industry News Can Europe achieve its renewable energy targets without biofuels? Europe’s renewable energy plans. Fintense scrutiny at present. But ood-based biofuels are under It has been suggested that passedif European how Unionwill we proposals meet our to target cap wastes and residues, could make the use of food-based biofuels are advanced biofuels, made from development is unlikely to make a to derive 10 per cent of the energy up the shortfall but the scale of usedWith intransport transport being from such renewables? a large significantWithout strong dent policyin the 2020support targets. and per cent – around usecomponent – of energy use in Europe NNFCC estimate that advanced still have a of hugely the UK’s important fuel by 2020.role in favourable economic conditions,2.1 Therefore first generation biofuels one fifth of total energy reaching our 10 per cent target. reducing the use of food- based‘Clean’ biofuels sources will cast of doubts food over waste biofuels becoming will only harder contribute to find for anaerobic digesters to promote source segregation. combined capacity to treat 5.4m Tbusiness and household waste here are around 16m tonnes of The UK currently has around 50 and the market starts to look quite AD plants in the UK designed to crowded.tonnes of Notfood only and thisgreen but waste, the UK suitable for anaerobic digestion in composting market is growing by the UK. But much of this waste isn’t more than 10 per cent per year. isreadily putting accessible a premium for AD on and existing the aretreat another food waste dozen with in construction a combined rapid expansion of the UK market capacity of 1.8m tonnes, and there However, AD can complement composting systems by treating sourcesDevelopers of ‘clean’ must startfood waste.looking at with a capacity to treat a further waste that can’t be processed 0.68m tonnes of food waste. through windrow composting (e.g. such as household waste, and will are more than 300 in-vessel cooked kitchen waste and animal needmore tovariable work with food local waste authorities streams, compostersAdd to this the in fact the that UK, therewith a by-products).

Interview Dr Yvonne Armitage, Industrial Biotechnology Expert at Biosciences KTN

Some bio-based products show technology I base in our bio-basedn each issue economy. of the In Newsletter this issue, we compared with synthetic products universities and wefeature talk exclusively an expert to voice Dr Yvonne from the superior functional properties technology- provider industriesin a number and of variousapplications, personal such care companies and biotechnologyArmitage from (IB)the Biosciencesin the UK. as thickeners used in a number of KTN about the role of industrial new and novel bio-based products in IB and Bioenergy by the BBSRC Why is IB important to the UK? alsoproduct gives additives. additional The market availability and of the recent settingIBBE up Catalystof networks in Developing IB is very important to application potential. There is no ensure UK based process companies and the future remain competitive in a global materials – particularly by the tapconjunction into these with multi-disciplinary the TSB, should marketplace and that we maintain doubt that the use of bio-based give a real focus for companies to – is becoming an increasingly research in this area. Countries such attractiveconsumer marketingfacing big brandtool. owners networks for expertise. asour the leading US, Germany, edge in fundamentalJapan and China to lose in at least considering the What advice would you give to My final advice is what have you got enabling technology those businesses looking to start have for many years embraced the developing IB? companiespotential of who IB in have your already business taken and use of IB as an stepsjoin the in dozens,IB. if not hundreds, of andWhat the is UK the needs main to driver follow behind suit. in the UK to assist businesses and the industry investing in bio- There is a lot of expertise and help To read the complete interview visit; based chemicals and products? www.nnfcc.co.uk/news/ib-interview they should take full advantage of this. We have an excellent THE UK’S BIGGEST FREE TO ATTEND NNFCC Celebrates Being Ten Years Old ANAEROBIC DIGESTION & TRADE SHOW The bio-based economy has changed dramatically since FIND OUT HOW AD CAN BENEFIT 2003. The Renewable Meet YOUR FARMING BUSINESS NNFCC Here at Energy Directive has driven a sharp Stand “increase in bioenergy use across AT THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM P123 Europe, while bio-based chemicals 3-4 JULY, 2013 boom to become more mainstream. WHAT’S ON OFFER? Andhave as benefitted the market from has the changed biofuels so has NNFCC. • Over 3,000 visitors We remain a principle advisor to the UK • Two day exhibition showcasing over 240 exhibitors Government, but we have also grown to become a • One-to-one advice clinics • Free two day high profile conference • Free seminars & workshops successful commercial consultancy serving a range and materials sectors; providing expertise not only • Great farming specific content onof global crops clientsbut also from on wastes across andthe energy,residues, chemicals which are • Site visits • The latest kit live on the show floor valuable resources we cannot afford to ignore. partners over the next ten years.” GOING TO THE LIvESTOCK EvENT AT THE NEC? We look forward to working with all our clients and COME AND SEE US TOO WHILE YOU’RE THERE! Dr Jeremy Tomkinson, Chief Executive of NNFCC. REGISTER NOW at adbiogas.co.uk

NNFCC Events

Following the success

workshops, NNFCC andof our North previous Energy are pleased to bring you two new life cycle assessment workshops in September. • Day 1: 17 Sept. Introduction to LCA Workshop • Day 2: 18 Sept. Advanced LCA Workshop

requirements and issues. The second looks at the issuesThe first in workshopgreater depth covers and the supports principles you ofin LCA,taking the

be taken together or separately. first steps to drawing up an LCA. The workshops can For more details visit www.nnfcc.co.uk/events NNFCC The Bioeconomy Consultants NNFCC, Biocentre, Phone: +44 (0)1904 435182 York Science Park, Fax: +44 (0)1904 435345 Innovation Way, E: [email protected] Heslington, York, Web: www.nnfcc.co.uk YO10 5DG.