The Growing Biobased Chemcial Market

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Product Opportunities

The Glycell™ process can operate at any scale. Biomass conversion plants can be sized to match bio-based opportunities.

By 2025, the bio-based chemicals market is forecast to grow from $65 billion  to $2 trillion, securing 22% of the chemical market by 2025. Driving this growth is the fact that most petroleum-based chemicals can be replaced by biomass-derived equivalents. Major chemical companies aim to have 25% of their portfolio bio-based by 2020.

The potential for growth in the bio-based market is significant. The market for fossil-based plastics is currently 75 times larger than for bio-based plastics and up to 90% of petroleum-based plastics can be replaced by bio-based alternatives. It is predicted that the bio-based market will grow at an annual rate of up to 40%. Corporations such as the Coca-Cola Company recognise the opportunity.

Making the Most Out of Biomass

The Glycell™ process represents a real economic breakthrough. It utilises every part of the biomass input. At least 94% of the cellulose (C6) is converted to sugars quickly and in large quantities. A separate stream of valuable hemicellulose (C5) sugars is produced and native form lignin is extracted – which unlike the lignin which is burned for energy, has a higher value in the chemical market.  The lower price for Glycell™ sugars opens up possibilities to replace starch, particularly corn starch, as an input to the 200 corn ethanol plants in the USA. The ability to supplement existing ethanol mills with cellulosic sugar inputs will enhance environmental benefits.

 

Cost Efficient Biorefining

Using biomass as a feedstock has other benefits. Biomass already contains the oxygen necessary to develop a wide range of chemicals, as well as other elements required to develop plastics. By contrast, petrochemical production requires the introduction of oxygen and other key elements at additional cost.