HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024-IA-03 – Enlarging The Portfolio Of Commercially Produced Bio-Based SSbD Solvents

Though the use of second-generation feedstock to produce biobased products is highly encouraged by the EU, such commercial processes are limited. This is due to the high cost associated with the production of second-generation glucose, associated with the, typically, limited use of the xylose and lignin streams, meaning that most of the process-cost burden is taken by glucose. Celignis’s EnXylaScope process is aimed at a Xylan-first approach where the extracted xylan is used for high-value products (e.g. personal care applications) and lignin for moderate-value applications (coatings). Celignis’s biomass fractionation process uses a chemo-enzymatic approach and hence the process is mild yet efficient without generating any toxic waste stream. The residual cellulose stream from biomass fractionation is digestible to glucose with the use of enzymes. This allows low-cost production of glucose which makes the production and supply of second-generation sugars cheaper. Celignis has 1.5 m3 (x2) process capacity to produce sugars for biobased solvents fermentation, alongside 100-litre reactors (x3), 50-litre reactors (x2), and 20-litre reactors (x4), alllowing for mulitple fermentation configurations to be tested.

More details at:

https://www.celignis.com/horizon-ju-cbe-2024-ia-03.php

Background on Celignis:

Celignis is an SME that was spun-out from an EU research project (the FP7 advanced biofuels project DIBANET) that was written and coordinated by Celignis's founder Daniel Hayes.

It has now been over ten years since the end of that project and over that time Celignis has grown in size and reputation and now occupies a valuable niche as being the premier analytical and bioprocess development provider to clients in the biomass sector. We provide a wide range of compositional analysis services and bioprocessing expertise to a diverse array of customers (including SMEs, multinationals, and universities) looking to utilise biomass feedstocks, residues and wastes for the production of biobased products, biofuels, and energy.

In April 2023 Celignis joined the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) as a Full Industry SME Member, meaning that we can contribute to the strategic direction and future calls of the CBE-JU and that Celignis is an eligible partner for all CBE-JU actions. The CBE requires that any Large Industry or SME partner in Innovation Action (end TRL 6/7) or Flagship (end TRL 8) projects is a BIC member.

Celignis is a partner in 1 ongoing CBE project, with a further 3 (successful awardees of CBE-JU funding in the 2023 call) starting between May and Sept 2024. The ongoing project, PERFECOAT is a RIA (Research and Innovation Action) project, whilst the 3 upcoming projects (BIONEER, PROMOFER, and MANUREFINERY) are Innovation Action (TRL 6/7) projects. The extensive developments in processing capacity (up to 1m3) by Celignis Bioprocess over the last few years make us particularly suited to participation in such higher-TRL topics.

Regarding our completed CBE-JU projects, they were funded as part of the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU) programme. The BBI-JU was the precursor to the CBE-JU for which 2022 was the first year of operation. Our first such project, the RIA project BIOrescue, was completed in 2019, whilst the RIA project UNRAVEL ended in 2022 and the Innovation Action project VAMOS was completed in 2023. Click here to read more about our ongoing and completed CBE/BBI projects.

In addition to these CBE projects, Celignis is currently active in a number of other research projects funded by the EU's Horizon programme. Click here to read more about these projects and here to learn more about our completed EU projects.

"Celignis had successful proposals in over 40% of the CBE-JU Innovation Action topics in 2023. Our Full-Industry BIC membership and extensive scaled-up bioprocessing capabilities make us particularly suited to participation in IA proposals"

More details on Celignis at:

https://www.celignis.com/about.php