Selective and sustainable (co)-production of lignin-derived aromatics

ExpectedOutcome:

Projects are overall expected to address the EU Bioeconomy Strategy^[1] and its action plan, the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability^[2] (under the EU Zero pollution ambition for a toxic free environment), the EU Industrial strategy,^[3] the EU Biodiversity strategy 2030,^[4] as well as and the co-implementation of the Transition Pathway for the chemicals industry^[5].

Project results should contribute to the following expected outcomes:

• Scaling-up the cascading use of lignocellulosic biomass with improved atom economy, upcycling lignin. Significantly contributing to divesting from fossil resources, also considering the aromatics platform.
• Improved sustainability, strategic autonomy, resilience and competitiveness of the European chemical industry while reducing the fossil feedstock dependence in other downstream sectors.
• Significant improvement of environmental and safety performance across the value chain against specified fossil and/or bio-based benchmarks.
• Availability of broader range of bio-based chemicals meeting market and technical performance requirements, facilitating the market uptake of scalable bio-based solutions.
• Societal relevance and social acceptance of circular bio-based solutions and products.

Scope:

Aromatics production is a billion € market and the share of EU is around 25 %. Aromatics have impact on applications such as solvents, agrochemicals, dietary supplements, while also being important in plastics production and other materials (e.g. resins, polyurethanes). The demand for chemicals from renewable sources is rapidly increasing and there is an urgent need for alternative feedstock and sustainable technologies to produce aromatics in bio-based industry. Lignin is available at large volumes and currently mostly downcycled because of the lower feasibility to obtain scaled up, selective aromatic streams, of which there are very few alternatives to fossil-based aromatics. Approximately, only 1-2% of the lignin annual production is used in chemicals production.

Proposals under this topic should:

• Demonstrate the efficient, cost-competitive and sustainable production of aromatic bio-based chemicals from lignin, including phenols, alkylphenols, BTX (Benzene, toluene and xylenes) and/or other aromatics.
• Address the upstream processing of lignocellulosic biomass and the downstream processing of lignin to obtain targeted aromatics, demonstrating high yield and selectivity for the targeted aromatics. Under this context, consider the integration of advanced analytical characterisation capabilities of lignin and lignin-derived aromatics if applicable.
• Describe reaction mechanisms and pathways leading to the production of the targeted bio-based aromatics in the context of further advancing process scale-up during or beyond the project duration.
• Clarify the relevant feedstock in scope including availability and process flexibility aspects in relation to feedstock composition if relevant. The cascading valorisation of secondary biomass and residual streams is also in scope.
• Include a task to integrate assessment based on the safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) framework, developed by the European Commission, for assessing the safety and sustainability of chemicals and materials.^[6] Under this context, projects are expected to contribute with and develop recommendations that can advance further the application of the SSbD framework.^[7] The safety and environmental performance assessment must account for the full value chain and the most relevant final application(s) and end-of-life , ensuring safety for workers, end users / consumers as well as the environment.
• Test and validate (end TRL: 5 and above) the bio-based aromatics for their further conversion or integration further down the value chain.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach and ensure adequate involvement of all key actors in the value chains relevant for this topic, across the sustainable circular bio-based system, including B2B actors, end users as well as feedstock providers.

Proposals should seek for links and complementarities and avoid overlaps with past, ongoing and upcoming EU funded projects, including those funded under H2020, HEU and the BBI JU and CBE JU.^[8] Collaboration among projects from the same topic are encouraged.

Proposals should also describe their contribution to the Specific CBE JU requirements, presented in section 2.2.3.1 of the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2024^[9].

[1]Updated Bioeconomy Strategy 2018.

[2]The EU’s chemicals strategy for sustainability towards a toxic-free environment.

[3]European Industrial Strategy.

[4]Brussels, 20.5.2020, COM(2020) 380 final

[5]https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/chemicals/transition-pathway_en.

[6]See document defining the framework and criteria: Safe and sustainable by design.

[7]More specifically, provide thresholds that can support the criteria definition and improvements for the assessment SSbD methodologies, including any specificities related with bio-based chemicals. Recommendations should also include identification of data gaps, especially safety, environmental, but also socio-economic factors, as well as priorities for data collection.

[8]For example, from the BBI JU/CBE JU portfolio, without the list being exclusive: WOODZYMES (RIA), SWEETWOODS (FLAGSHIP), and COUNTLESS (IA).

[9]https://www.cbe.europa.eu/reference-documents