International. A demonstration plant for a new technology to produce chemicals from sunlight will be built in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, by AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals and partner firm Photanol BV.
The companies formed a partnership in 2014 to work together on a technology that uses cyanobacteria that mimics the way plants use photosynthesis to produce chemical components such as the organic acids of carbon dioxide (CO2). These have applications in biodegradable plastics, personal care products and as intermediates for the chemical industry.
Photanol has closed a funding round with a group of Dutch investment firms that will allow the construction of the unit to continue; it is expected to be completed in 2020.
Marco Waas, Director of R&D and Technology – Industrial Chemicals at AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals said: "The joint development of Photanol's production capacity is part of our strategic choice to collaborate with innovative companies to drive growth by developing more sustainable chemical platforms for our customers."
Véronique de Bruijn, CEO of Photanol BV, added: "The Photanol team wants to show the world that we can make a big difference by producing clean chemicals and reducing the CO2 load on the environment."
Peter Nieuwenhuizen, Chief Technology Officer of AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals added: "This is the next step in our partnership, where Photanol will finally produce a new, low-cost intermediary for one of our businesses. This will allow us to make a radical change in the profitability and quality of the product. We are proud to support Photanol by manufacturing chemicals from sunlight at scale, and help grow a profitable green chemical group in Delfzijl."
