Bio4PURConti

Bio-Based Continuous Production For Sustainable Polyurethane Industry 

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 transitioning from a fed-batch to 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, advanced process control and modelling, and validating industrial scalability. This will unlock economic and ecological opportunities through doubled space-time yields, significant CAPEX and OPEX reduction and improved resource efficiency.  

Bio4PURConti brings 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. 

ACTIVITIES of the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant

• Co-develop and optimise continuous bioprocessing protocols 
• Semi-industrial-scale fermentation campaigns to validate continuous bio-based aniline production 

PARTNERS

• Covestro Deutschland, DE (Coordinator) 
• Fibenol, EE 
• University of Stuttgart, GE 
• Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, BE 
• ZEDO, GE 
• NTNU, NO 
• Axel’One, FR 
• VTT, FI 
• CLIB, GE 
• AEMIS, ES 

SUPPORTED by

The project is supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking and its members under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101292477. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and the Bio-based Industries Consortium.    

Disclaimer Art 17.3. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CBE JU. Neither the European Union, nor CBE JU can be held responsible for them.