Biotech Updates

Chemocatalysis Project for Making Biofuels Explained

August 22, 2013

News release: http://www.waste-management-world.com/articles/2013/08/video-chemocatalysis-to-unlock-biofuel-from-wastes.html

Additional info: http://www.catchbio.com/about_catchbio


In Netherlands, the Catalysis for Sustainable Chemicals from Biomass (CatchBio) project has published a video explaining how science and industry are collaborating to develop catalytic reactions for making biofuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals from waste.

CatchBio involves 21 partners including Dutch universities, research institutes and industries working in the field of catalysis research, as well as key industrial key players and specialised small and medium enterprises. The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has bankrolled the project to finance half of its €29 million budget. The other half is financed by all the industrial and academic partners.

At the heart of chemocatalysis technology is a catalyst that transforms one molecule into different targeted molecules. CatchBio researchers claim to have developed a cheap and effective way of using catalysts to break down the structure of cells in lignocellulosic wastes like wood and stubble and transform the feedstocks into products of a much higher value, such as biofuel.