ChainCraft, an Amsterdam-based biotechnology company, has launched the PACE project, a European initiative aimed at advancing sustainable chemical production through circular economy principles. The project, supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, brings together industrial and innovation partners to scale up production of medium-chain fatty acids from agricultural waste.
At the heart of PACE is a pioneering biorefinery that will retrofit part of Royal Avebe’s existing production facility. The facility will use advanced fermentation and microbial chain elongation technology to convert potato juice side-streams into valuable biobased chemicals for industrial applications.
The project targets annual production of up to 20,000 tonnes of purified fatty acids from approximately 300,000 tonnes of potato juice. This approach significantly improves resource efficiency through wastewater reuse and reduced transport emissions. Compared to conventional fossil and palm oil-based alternatives, the biobased fatty acids are expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 80 percent.
“By upgrading infrastructure that already exists and using locally available side-streams, we show that sustainable chemistry does not have to start from scratch,” said Niels van Stralen, founder and Chief Growth Officer of ChainCraft.
The initiative represents a strategic shift for Europe’s chemical industry. By integrating circular solutions into existing industrial infrastructure, PACE demonstrates how industrial side-streams can become scalable commercial products while reducing dependency on fossil and palm oil-based chemistry.
Downstream partners including Syensqo, Symrise AG, and SC Johnson are participating in the project. Their involvement signals growing industrial interest in circular and biobased alternatives. The consortium aims to accelerate market adoption and commercial scale-up of biobased fatty acids while strengthening Europe’s position in deforestation-free and import-independent chemical production.
The project underscores a broader trend toward circular value chains. Rather than building new facilities from scratch, PACE retrofits existing infrastructure and utilizes local agricultural byproducts, demonstrating a practical pathway for industrial decarbonization.
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- Source: https://worldbiomarketinsights.com/chaincrafts-pace-turns-potato-waste-into-sustainable-chemicals/
