Sugar and Cellulose: The Green Future of the Chemical Industry in Northern Netherlands

The Saccharide Agenda, developed by Chemport Europe, aims to drastically reduce CO2 emissions in line with the Dutch Climate Agreement. The Chemport region, with chemical parks in Delfzijl and Emmen, seeks to become a major producer of saccharide-based chemicals between 2020 and 2050. By 2020, the region had already reduced CO2 emissions by 44% through more efficient production processes.

Sugar offers numerous opportunities as a platform for biobased plastics. Polysaccharides are the most abundant renewable resource, making them a logical choice for the biobased chemical industry. The technology for implementing sugar sources is at different stages of development. Wood is at a high Technology Readiness Level (TRL 7-9), while seaweed sugar is at a lower TRL (1-3).

For wood, we contacted various parties in the wood processing industry, who showed interest in our developments. Delfzijl already has the technology to convert wood into sugars, which is a significant advantage. We will also explore opportunities for cellulose and lignin, a byproduct of wood processing.

Seaweed sugar holds potential as a local biomass source, especially considering the space constraints in the Netherlands. By utilizing vertical farming and aquaculture, we can make use of unused space. Building a value chain from raw materials to refined sugars is the main challenge here. However, the interest from seaweed cultivation companies offers long-term project opportunities.

Our goal now is to create concrete value chains for both sugar sources. We hope that continued collaboration with various stakeholders will bring new possibilities and promote a sustainable green chemical industry.