Syngas Project has been at the forefront of innovation with the development of the TITAN platform in Poland for almost a decade; specifically tailored for the production of 2nd generation ethanol (2G EtOH), a vital intermediary for fuelling Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) refineries.
Despite the urgency of the situation, the groundbreaking TITAN platform finds itself still sitting on the sidelines, facing the challenge of not yet finalising the allocation of funding required to propel it through the final leg of the EPC tender. This step is crucial in making TITAN investment-ready and leading to groundbreaking, initiating a 25-year-plus construction roll-out. The financial hurdle currently faced by the project puts it in a state of uncertainty, which is particularly frustrating given the imminent 2% EU Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate scheduled for next year and the daunting 20% EU SAF mandate for 2030 looming on the horizon. TITAN’s potential to revolutionise SAF production in Poland and contribute to meeting these mandates makes the need for support and the release of funding even more pressing.
As the destiny of CPK teeters on the brink, the imperative to address LOT’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) requirements becomes increasingly urgent. With each passing moment of delay, the pressure mounts on an already precarious situation, akin to an inflated balloon atop the proposed 46 billion Euro bill for CPK. Time is of the essence, and failure to swiftly meet LOT’s SAF needs jeopardises not only the realisation of CPK’s vision but also risks losing an airline and leaving behind a significant financial burden. Swift action is essential to avert this outcome and ensure the sustainable future of aviation in Poland.
The SOLIDEA Groups ASMARA platform converts all waste plastics [except PVC] into new biodegradable plastics. So-called PHA-derived plastics have the same characteristics as oil-derived thermo-plastics however as well as being 100% biodegradable PHA’s are biocompatible. To date, these plastics have been critical in the development of many medical procedures though traditionally expensive to produce.
The ASMARA platform marries two technologies a waste-to-energy plant and a bio-refinery at scale into one cookie-cutter project. The technology at the front of the process is Microbial Fermentation where a carbon-rich Hydrogen Producer Gas is forced into a tank of billions of microbes. This Microbial Fermentation process multiplies, fattens and then terminates the life of the microbes so they can be harvested to recreate a range of chemicals, fuels and materials that we use every day.
The waste-to-energy technology at the back end of the process converts solid waste streams into a Hydrogen producer’s Gas. A well demonstrated tried and tested thermo-chemical process which turns solids into gas in the absence of oxygen. There is no smoke because no burning occurs [because there is no oxygen] which is just as well because there is no smokestack or chimney for such emissions.
Hydrogen Producers Gas is created in a slightly negative pressure environment it is rich in hydrogen [H2] and carbon monoxide [CO] and these elements are suspended in nitrogen [N] together with lesser amounts of carbon dioxide [CO2] and a little methane [CH4].
The ASMARA Hydrogen Producers Gas to PHA process
ASMARA like its cousin TITAN are platforms on which to convert abundant and or problematic organic waste into Hydrogen Producer Gas. Since we are converting waste into new materials the process is recycling however since we are producing far superior added-value materials we believe we are upcycling.
ASMARA converts problematic sorted Municipal Solid Waste [MSW] such as plastic together with household waste whilst TITAN convert abundant forest floor residues. Both platforms support different outcomes including [i] Combined Heat and Power [CHP] [ii] Gas to Liquid [GTL] tanking fuels via the fermentation of Polyhydroxyalkanoates [PHA] which produce ethanol or [iii] Bioplastics “nature-like” polymers which can be rolled to make films, extruded to make bottles and profiles or moulded to make components just like typical fossil fuel sourced thermo-plastics.
Hydrogen is a dynamic building block but if we are to have enough of it to make a difference we are challenged to find alternative ways of getting hold of it, feeding hydrogen producer’s gas to microbes through microbial fermentation nurtures and grows microbes which once processed have the appearance, feel, durability and quality of leather and that’s because the end product is made from or grown out of microbes which replicate collagen. Producing the same biological material leather is made from, in scaled-up bio-manufacturing using hydrogen producer’s gas isn’t just the silver bullet the shoe and car industry was looking for, it also produces waterless green hydrogen as a byproduct
Alternative Collagen can be produced after recycling waste carbon
Currently, Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are fermented to produce organic materials such as polymers, once produced these organic polymers are further processed to manufacture bio-compatible, bio-degradable plastics. The same bio-manufacturing process can also produce collagen at scale a replacement for animal skin, leather manufactured by the fermentation and processing of microbes
Though this bio-manufacturing process has been slow to catch on because traditionally it is relatively expensive, compared to low-cost oil-based plastics costs are being cut as producer’s gas demonstrates an ideal carbon-rich, abundant source of feedstock for microbial fermentation.
TITAN converts abundant low-value forest waste whilst ASMARA converts abundant and problematic, sorted municipal solid waste to produce a carbon-rich hydrogen producer’s gas enabling the ramping up of PHA fermentation and with much lower cost than in the previous production facilities.
PHA products can replace many of the materials we use every day and not only those used to produce the items we only use once. PHA is recyclable, biodegradable, and biocompatible the opportunity to recycle PHA is unlimited and if for any reason PHA materials are landfilled or accidentally become sea fill PHA will happily break down in nature without harming the environment because PHA like natural other material is biocompatible it poses no chemical threat to our health or our environments well being.
In the very near future, low-cost Hydrogen Producer Gas sourced PHA materials will go mainstream and replace oil-based plastics. As a result, much of the new PHA materials which will enter our supply chain in the next decade could be represented by a product which has been recycled from recovered oil-based thermoplastics as we clean up our environment.
PHA Collagen the next step forward
Collagen roughly describes the main constructive protein of our bodies, it makes up approximately 30% of our body mass, as it does all mammals. Collagen is the fundament of our connective tissue, our bones, our skin, our tendons and our ligaments they are all made from collagen.
PHA leather collagen can replace animal products like leather shoes and sneakers, jackets, belts and many other types of apparel that can be produced without the unnecessary environmental impact of fast fashion, most importantly they can be manufactured without the need to raise and slaughter animals for their skins.
Think of the benefits for the car industry to receive readily matching leather collagen hides all of regular size and shape. Mass-produced, PHA leather collagen is highly competitive in cost and ramping up PHA production means more affordability for items such as good quality apparel and footwear with far less production waste. The PHA value proposition for the fashion industry is top-quality materials, at competitive costs and with a zero landfill potential.
PHA alt leather collagen is produced through Microbial Fermentation an industry enjoying dynamic growth and the potential for becoming a commonplace industrial practice that renders oil redundant in the production of fuels, chemicals and materials.
