Optimalisering: NewPolySea - Biovalorization of Marine Raw Rest Materials into Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Based Products

Plastavfall et økende globalt problem, spesielt for verdenshavene. Det haster med å finne løsninger for å redusere dette problemet, og dette er et satsingsområde både hos myndigheter, frivillige organisasjoner og forskningsgrupper i flere land. Marin plastforsøpling er et stort problem også for Norge. Plastsøppelet utgjør en trussel for alt marint liv, noe som på sikt kan gi uante konsekvenser for fiskeri- og havbruksindustrien. En annen utfordring i fiskerinæringen, uten sammenheng for øvrig, er de enorme mengdene (ca. 630.00 tonn) restråstoff som ikke utnyttes årlig. Prosjektet NewPolySea ønsker å finne en løsning på begge disse utfordringene. I dette prosjektet utforskes muligheten til å konvertere ubenyttede marine restråstoffer (MRR) til en type bioplast som kalles polyhydroksy alkanoater (PHA). Et sterkt multinasjonalt og tverrfaglig team av industrielle mikrobiologer, polymerkjemikere, miljøforskere, samt forretningsutviklere og industrielle rådgivere har blitt samlet for å nå dette målet. Prosjektet er delt inn i ulike arbeidspakker, og flere av disse er i gang. Prosjektet ble fullført i desember 2020, og det viste tydelig at MMR faktisk kan konverteres til PHA. Ytterligere FoU er fortsatt nødvendig for å utvikle dette proof-of-concept videre mot kommersialisering. Det planlegges for tiden oppfølgingsstudier.

In the NewPolySea project it was demonstrated that unutilized rest raw materials (RRMs) from the Norwegian fishing industry can indeed be used to produced polyhydroxyalkanoates. Different types of PHA polymers could be produced and it depended on (i) which fraction of the RRM was used as feedstock, and (ii) on which fermentation strategy. Much R&D work still remains before the developed technologies can be commercialized, but this project built a broad platform for the required follow-up studies.

Plastics are a major source of environmental pollution, but are also an indispensable part of our contemporary society. Bioplastics not only offer a solution to this impasse, but it simultaneously offers an opportunity to extend the value chain of the Norwegian fishing and aquaculture industry. In this project, unutilized rest raw materials from Norways fishing industry (estimated at over 600,000 tons per annum) will be used as a feedstock to produce bacterial polymers, called polyhydroxyalkanoates. These polymers can be used in bioplastic production, but can also serve as a source of valuable monomers. Both of these bioproducts (i.e. polymers and monomers) are associated with high future growth projections and the potential to strongly contribute to Norways bioeconomy. The global bioplastics and biopolymer market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 17,5 % or more between 2016-2020, with an expected increase to USD 20 billion by 2019, and USD 324 billion by 2030. An ongoing pre-project has yielded promising results, but to evaluate the commercial potential of this idea, optimization funding is required. In this project, several fermentation strategies will be employed to convert various different types of marine raw rest materials into biopolymers, which will then be assessed for use as environmentally-friendly bioplastics and/or as a source for high-value monomers. In order to achieve this, a strong multinational and multidisciplinary team of industrial microbiologists, polymer and organic chemists, environmental scientists, as well as business developers and industrial advisers has been assembled. The project is expected to be completed within three years. At the end of this project we will have the results and partners needed for market verification (FORNY2020) and the establishment of a new production company. This project offers a clear contribution to Norways bioeconomy within the paradigm of sustainable and environmentally responsible development.