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Bio-Based Continuous Production for Sustainable Polyurethane Industry

Objective

Bio4PURConti pioneers the chemical industry by developing the world's first continuous bio-based production process towards bulk chemical manufacturing – in our case: aniline. Aniline, a high-volume platform chemical with 7 million tons produced annually, is essential for polyurethane manufacturing but currently relies on fossil resources, generating approximately 20 million tons of CO2 emissions worldwide each year.
Bio4PURConti will use a well-known industrial microbe, corynebacterium glutamicum, to produce aminobenzoic acid, which is decarboxylated to bio-based aniline, creating a drop-in for petrol-based aniline in polyurethane applications.
By conversion from a fed-batch to a continuous bioprocessing, the project addresses significant challenges by developing continuous fermentation technologies, implementing cell recycling systems, advancing second-generation feedstock utilization, reintegrating downstream waste streams, and validating industrial scalability. This will unlock economic and ecologic opportunities through doubled space-time yields, significant CAPEX and OPEX reduction and improved resource efficiency. With Bio4PURConti we can deliver remarkable environmental benefits, shifting the carbon footprint from 2.7 CO2-eq/kg aniline to a negative value.
Led by Covestro our strength lies in a consortium of 11 European partners, combining industrial leadership with academic excellence to cover the entire value chain from feedstock to application. With this, Bio4PURConti is bringing together key technologies and expertise for the demonstration across multiple scales, culminating in semi-industrial continuous fermentation at 1.5m³. Beyond aniline production, the project establishes a transferable platform technology for continuous bio-based production of bulk chemicals, positioning Europe to capture the emerging bio-based chemicals market while achieving climate targets and maintaining industrial competitiveness through technological differentiation.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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Funding Scheme

HORIZON-JU-IA - HORIZON JU Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025

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Coordinator

COVESTRO DEUTSCHLAND AG
Net EU contribution
€ 1 926 787,50
Address
KAISER WILHELM ALLEE 60
51373 Leverkusen
Germany
Region
Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Leverkusen, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost
€ 3 211 312,50

Participants (9)