Press and Media

After four productive years, the BioSPRINT project comes to a successful end. During the final General Assembly meeting at the Leuna Chemical Complex, the project partners presented results of the final project phase, which focused on integrating the individual steps of the BioSPRINT process. The BioSPRINT technology provides an intensified concept to improve biorefinery operations at a final TRL of 4-5. Key outcomes demonstrate the feasibility of producing valuable furan monomers from renewable biomass and show significant potential for commercialisation.

Adhesives are almost always based on fossil raw materials such as petroleum. Researchers at Fraunhofer have recently developed a process that allows to utilize keratin for this purpose. This highly versatile protein compound can be found, for instance, in chicken feathers. Not only can it be used to manufacture a host of different adhesives for a variety of applications, but the processes and end products are also sustainable and follow the basic principles underlying a bio-inspired circular economy. The project, developed together with Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, addresses a billion-dollar market.

The recently funded European projects LIKE-A-PRO and GIANT LEAPS are proud to announce that they have become members of Horizon4Proteins, a collaboration launched in 2021 by four EU-funded projects working on alternative proteins (NextGenProteins, ProFuture, Smart Protein and SUSINCHAIN).

At the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP in Leuna, Germany, representatives from politics, research and industry opened a novel pilot plant for the mild processing of rapeseed to increase the added-value potential of rape as a raw material. Based on a biorefinery, the plant not only delivers high-grade, pre-raffinate-quality rapeseed oil, but also a high-grade, protein-rich rapeseed kernel concentrate, secondary plant substances dissolved in ethanol and rapeseed hulls, which represent further products. The plant was built as part of the joint research project EthaNa, which has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

The LIKE-A-PRO project (No. 101083961), funded by the European Union under the topic “HORIZON-CL6-2022-FARM2FORK-01-07” has officially started on November 1st, 2022. The project brings together key representatives along the entire alternative protein value chain (protein producers, ingredient & product developers, culinary centres, food clusters), scientists and market & communication experts in a trans-disciplinary consortium (42 entities in 17 countries) coordinated by the technological center CTIC CITA.

TotalEnergies announced the launch of the e-CO2Met project at the Hydrogen Lab Leuna together with the electrolyser manufacturer Sunfire, the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS. Methanol can be produced from low-carbon hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide, which is an important approach to reducing climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions. With the ambition to produce climate-neutral methanol on site, this demonstration project will integrate the various components required to this end, such as the use of renewable energy.

The innovation field regenerative resources, headed by Dr. Fabian Steffler will start his DaeRpa project "Ecological insulation made from rapeseed husks and bio-based epoxy resin" this year. Within this innovative project, the ability and properties of rapeseed as a biobased insulation material are examined.

From November 16 to 20, the "Global Bioeconomy Summit 2020", the international congress for bioeconomy, took place as a digital event. Fraunhofer IGB and CBP participated in the conference in two workshops.

On June 1, 2020, the BioSPRINT project - »Biorefining of sugars through process intensification« started in an unfamiliar environment. At the kick-off meeting online, project goals and measures were discussed for the 4-year project, which has a financial volume of 6.2 million euros and in which 13 partners are researching bio-based synthetic resins made from hemicellulose under the patronage of DECHEMA.

Dr. Ireen Gebauer, scientist in the innovation field of regenerative resources at Fraunhofer CBP in Leuna, has achieved a remarkable project success for her research group Biomass Fractionation. Thanks to intensive preparatory work by Dr. Moritz Leschinsky, who leaves CBP at the end of the month, succeeded in approving the "XyloSolv" project, which receives EUR 1.3 million from BMEL and FNR.