The RESYNTEX project aims at designing, developing and demonstrating new high environmental impact industrial symbiosis between the unwearable blends and pure components of textile waste and the chemical and textile industries. The project comprises: - a strategic design of the whole value chain from textile waste collection, until the new marketable feedstock for chemical & textile industrie, by which the symbiosis opportunities are evaluated (by public authorities and the private sector) in terms of their social, technical, economic, environmental and legislative aspects - the improvement of collection approaches particularly for non-wearable textiles for recycling by changing citizen’s behaviour and creation of tools for higher social involvement and recycling promotion. This will ensure a greater accessibility to textile waste as resource and increase the textile waste rates destined for recycling. With 50% collection rate all over Europe would be a significant improvement in order to provide large quantities of feedstock - a data aggregation system that will be developed and implemented in order to ensure waste traceability and also provide relevant data for economic and environmental assessment; - the development of new business models adapted for different synergies identified and for new markets. In addition, environmental LCA and LCC for different scenarios and identification of the most promising routes and synergies will support this objective - automation of the macro separation and sorting for pure or blended textiles, in order to enhance productivity and competitiveness of the whole recycling process - a new demonstration process based on a synergistic chemical and biotechnological cascading separation/transformation approach of textile basic components (proteins, cellulose, polyamide and polyester) from textile blends as basic feedstock materials for chemical & textile industries. Liquid and solid waste treatment and valorisation will close the loop

The BIOSKOH project will pave the way for a Second Generation European Circular Bioeconomy by showcasing how a number Innovation Stepping Stones can realise a breakthrough in techno-economic viability of lignocellulosic biorefineries. It will do so through a two stage investment process and development path to realise the largest (110 kton) second generation (2G) biorefinery in Europe. It starts from a brownfield industrial site in the eastern part of the Slovak Republic to realise the 1st stage Flagship plant to produce 55 kton of cellulosic ethanol per year for EU bio-fuel mandates. Partners include the full value chain starting from land owners and feedstock producers, supply chain experts and an agronomical research partner to set-up a new biomass value chain exploiting large amounts of currently unused crop residues (kton/year), and developing newly grown dedicated crops on marginal land (total circa 320 kton/year), as such revitalising the regional economy. Technology providers (Biochemtex, Novozymes and Lesaffre) developed, tested and demonstrated in the only available semi-industrial scale 2G biorefinery research plant, an innovative integrated pre-treatment, hydrolyses and fermentation package, with higher yield and lower CAPEX which will now be upscaled to the 1st of a kind commercial scale Flagship, to be built by Energochemica. Aim is to showcase techno-economic viability based on a sound business plan and 4 stepping stones (yield, biomass cost, brownfield and industrial symbiosis). Dedicated innovation actions by expert partners include assessing increased cascading potential through lignin valorisation and 2G bio-chemicals, LCA, Socio-economic impact analyses, business plan for a 2nd investment round, exploitation, dissemination and replication actions to various bio-economy clusters in Europe, thus giving both a short term and a long term contribution to the European Industrial Renaissance and bio-economy.

The aim of the LigniOx project is to demonstrate the techno-economic viability of the unique LigniOx alkali-O2 oxidation technology for the conversion of various lignin-rich side-streams into versatile dispersants. High-performance concrete plasticizers will be the target end product, but potential other end uses, such as dispersants for paints and gypsum, will be evaluated as well. Valorisation of lignins originating from kraft and organosolv pulping as well as from 2nd generation bioethanol processes will be addressed. Both the oxidation technology and the end-product performance will be demonstrated at operation conditions, thus enabling industrial process installations and entry of the novel lignin products into the markets after the project. The valorisation of lignin side-streams will significantly improve the cost-competitiveness and resource efficiency of lignocellulosic biorefineries. It will also create low-cost, sustainable raw materials for the chemical industry. The LigniOx technology can be integrated into lignocellulosic biorefineries, or it can be operated as a stand-alone unit by chemical industry. For scale-up and process demonstrations, a mobile pilot unit will be constructed. The viability of the process concepts will be demonstrated in operational conditions using relevant pilot equipment and process modelling. The performance of LigniOx concrete plasticizers will be demonstrated by field tests, and industrial product prototypes will be produced. Techno-economy as well as environmental and socio-economic impacts will be assessed. Also regulatory issues will be considered to ensure the market entry.