BIO-HUB – R&D base for a new French Biorefinery

The president of the Republic of France, Jacques Chirac, presented on Tuesday 25 April details of the six research programmes that will be co-financed by the State and industries within the framework of the new Agency of Industrial Innovation. The six large research programs announced should mobilize almost 600 million euros, including at least 236 million provided by the State.

One of the projects proposed concerns the construction of a new biorefinery, with a research input of 98 million Euros. The construction of the bio-refinery will require investments of more than 900 million euros. Interest comes from Roquette Frères, (French starch manufacturer) with other possible participants being the French chemical company Arkema, Dutch DSM, German Cognis, Eurovia (Vinci group), the plastic packing company Sidel, the French laboratories of the CNRS and other Europeans centers such as the Technical University Eindhoven and Kluyver (The Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation a consortium of Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Leiden University, Nijmegen University, Utrecht University, TNO, Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences, Agrotechnology and Food Innovations and NIZO food research). The project is intended for the transformation and the industrial use of cereal derivatives, via the development of the biorefinery. that will transform 1.3 million tons of cereals each year.

The aim is to create a new outlet for French agriculture and to decrease oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. New solvents, biodegradable plastics and food packing could be developed. This project should also create 600 jobs in the long term.

Information source (In French): www.lesechos.fr/info/rew_france/200075372.htm