German engineering firm thyssenkrupp Uhde has launched new enzymatic esterification technology in partnership with industrial enzymes company Novonesis.
The jointly-produced uhde technology uses Novonesis’ bespoke enzymes as catalysts in place of traditional chemical catalysts based on metals or inorganic acids.
Designed to operate at lower temperatures, the process produced bio-based and bio-degradable esters for use in a range of food, personal care, household care and technical applications, thyssenkrupp Uhde said on 5 February.
“This joint offering underscores our commitment to sustainability and also provides our clients with … the possibility to enter … new markets for bio-based products,” thyssenkrupp Uhde CEO Nadja Håkansson said.
Following a successful pilot, thyssenkrupp Uhde said the technology – which reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions – was now ready for scale-up and industrial application, with an add-on retrofit package available to allow existing plants to run both conventional and enzymatic esterification processes.
thyssenkrupp Uhde’s portfolio includes technologies for the production of base chemicals, fertilisers, polymers, green hydrogen and sustainable chemicals.
