wednesday 8th april 2015
Novamont integrated biorefinery at the 2015 Plant Based Summit
Novara - Lille, 8-9 April 2015 - The Plant Based Summit has established itself as one of the leading events for discussing innovation and the development of products made from renewable sources and associated regulatory and policy aspects. After the 2013 edition in Paris, the 2015 edition in Lille will attract an even more international audience. The two days of presentations and interventions - organised by the Association Chimie du Végétal (ACDV) - will feature over 75 exhibitors from all over the world from the agro-industrial and chemical sectors and the bio-based products industry.
The international speakers taking to the stage at the Plant Based Summit will include Stefano Facco, Novamont's New Business Development Director, who will demonstrate how it is possible to develop a bioeconomy model based on local low-impact agricultural value chains and by redeveloping uncompetitive or deindustrialised production sites.
In this context he will present the case of the conversion of the Porto Torres petrochemical plant, in Sardinia, into the Matrìca biorefinery (a 50:50 joint venture between Novamont and Versalis). Using agricultural raw materials and vegetable oils, Matrìca employs a world-first technology developed by Novamont research in order to produce a range of bioproducts used in numerous sectors: bioplastics, biolubricants, agriculture, cosmetics, etc. This is an example of a win-win collaboration between industry and the agricultural sector which can generate new value and jobs and can be rolled out in other regions throughout Europe, with adaptations to specific local requirements.
"We are delighted to be taking part once again in the Plant Based Summit and to have the opportunity to present our experience in the bioplastics sector and our bioeconomy model, which goes beyond the use of renewable raw materials to include the regeneration of the area," said Christophe Doukhi-de Boissoudy, General Manager of Novamont France. "This means starting with local areas, respecting their biodiversity and in partnership with farmers, in order to develop biorefineries that are integrated in the region and dedicated to producing high added-value products such as bioplastics and biochemicals. It also means making great investments in research, in order to develop technologies that allow the creation of new, increasingly sustainable products, but also converting uncompetitive or abandoned industrial sites rather than using greenfield land. In this respect, the planned reduction of single-use plastic bags (with the exception of compostable bags containing raw materials from vegetable origin), in France as well in the rest of EU, is a measure in the right direction, since it diverts organic waste from landfill and promotes the development of a new European industry based on the use of renewable sources according to a logic of circular economy"
The international speakers taking to the stage at the Plant Based Summit will include Stefano Facco, Novamont's New Business Development Director, who will demonstrate how it is possible to develop a bioeconomy model based on local low-impact agricultural value chains and by redeveloping uncompetitive or deindustrialised production sites.
In this context he will present the case of the conversion of the Porto Torres petrochemical plant, in Sardinia, into the Matrìca biorefinery (a 50:50 joint venture between Novamont and Versalis). Using agricultural raw materials and vegetable oils, Matrìca employs a world-first technology developed by Novamont research in order to produce a range of bioproducts used in numerous sectors: bioplastics, biolubricants, agriculture, cosmetics, etc. This is an example of a win-win collaboration between industry and the agricultural sector which can generate new value and jobs and can be rolled out in other regions throughout Europe, with adaptations to specific local requirements.
"We are delighted to be taking part once again in the Plant Based Summit and to have the opportunity to present our experience in the bioplastics sector and our bioeconomy model, which goes beyond the use of renewable raw materials to include the regeneration of the area," said Christophe Doukhi-de Boissoudy, General Manager of Novamont France. "This means starting with local areas, respecting their biodiversity and in partnership with farmers, in order to develop biorefineries that are integrated in the region and dedicated to producing high added-value products such as bioplastics and biochemicals. It also means making great investments in research, in order to develop technologies that allow the creation of new, increasingly sustainable products, but also converting uncompetitive or abandoned industrial sites rather than using greenfield land. In this respect, the planned reduction of single-use plastic bags (with the exception of compostable bags containing raw materials from vegetable origin), in France as well in the rest of EU, is a measure in the right direction, since it diverts organic waste from landfill and promotes the development of a new European industry based on the use of renewable sources according to a logic of circular economy"