[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/5758\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBiorefinery sorts the chaff from the wheat\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESet at the back of a small village near Reims, in the Champagne-Ardenne region, a metal-clad building hums incongruously. Inside is what could be the shape of things to come in a world where soaring oil prices mean that manufacturers are desperate for any sustainable alternatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOil is a key ingredient for making plastic, however technicians inside the plant are making a replacement using straw from wheat and sugar beet. They are fermenting it to make bio-succinic acid, a chemical that can be used instead of oil to make plastics, fibres and phthalate-free plasticisers, which are used to make children\u2019s toys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The Sohettes bio-industrial site incorporates wheat and sugar-beet processing, an energy cogeneration unit, two bioethanol plants for biofuel production, and a cosmetic bio-ingredients plant,\u2019 explains Christophe Luguel, Head of International Affairs for the IAR (Industries and Agro-Resources) cluster. \u2018It is an initiative of local farmers and it involves biomass producers from the beginning,\u2019 he adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, the partners of this cluster have developed a fully integrated industrial biorefinery. \u2018It takes advantage of the biomass, based on traditional agro-industries, for new applications of agro-resources to be used in the local area,\u2019 says Luguel. \u2018But also, it relies on researchers.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBio-renewable chemicals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn innovative element of this complex is the Biodemo demonstration plant. With 350\u0026nbsp;000-litre fermenters, it is the largest open pilot facility in Europe for industrial biotechnology. Biodemo is fully integrated into the Sohettes biorefinery, supplying the plant with glucose, carbon dioxide, steam, ammonia and process water. The novel process on show at Biodemo promotes the use of renewable feedstocks and minimises the carbon footprint. Its technology provides higher purity at a lower cost than the traditional petrochemical route, while at the same time sequestering CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E. \u003Cdiv class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-bg-bluelightest tw-p-12 tw-my-12 tw--mx-16\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3 class=\u0022tw-font-sans tw-font-bold tw-text-blue tw-uppercase tw-text-lg tw-mb-8\u0022\u003EWhat is biorefining?\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-inline-block tw-w-1\/6 tw-h-1 tw-bg-blue tw-mb-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThe sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products and energy (source: European Biorefinery 2030 Vision).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.star-colibri.eu\/files\/files\/vision-web.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EEuropean Biorefinery 2030 Vision\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne company currently uses Biodemo as an industrial bio-succinic acid plant. The chemical industry increasingly recognises the potential of bio-renewable chemicals and particularly the importance of succinic acid as a building block for different specialty and commodity chemicals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBio-succinic acid offers an alternative source for a number of chemical ingredients derived from fossil fuels. These include 1,4-butanediol, which can be used in the manufacture of plastics, fibres and polyurethanes, and phthalate-free plasticisers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Sohettes site also includes several other companies, such as Soliance, a producer of cosmetic ingredients from plants, microorganisms and algae; Procethol 2G, which is developing a second generation ethanol pilot plant; and Chamtor, which is, among other activities, producing glucose 24 hours per day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, all these initiatives follow an integrated approach, mixing industrial partners, local farmers and research partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis cluster has shown the way to what a more global bioeconomy in Europe might look like in the future. No wonder that it has been at the forefront in the development of the European bioeconomy roadmap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EIAR: a one billion euro initiative\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EThe companies that are part of the Sohettes site all belong to the Industries and Agro-Resources (IAR) biocluster, dedicated to bio-based products and biorefinery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIAR members include 35 industrial groups and 90 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as agricultural cooperatives and academics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIts strategy is to make use of locally sourced biomass to provide a range of bio-based products in four fields: bio-energy, including biofuels; bio-materials \u2013 biocomposites and biopolymers; bio-chemicals; and bio-ingredients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past seven years, its members have developed more than 100 research and innovation projects with a budget of more than EUR\u0026nbsp;1\u0026nbsp;billion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-vv4trnrql9d89lanrw6l6vaq8vj6f-7fi3f2bv5ljpm\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-Vv4TRnrql9d89LanRw6l6vaQ8vJ6F-7fI3f2bv5ljpM\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]