Tanovis AG, a Swiss holding company, producing high purity lignins since more than a decade.
With our proprietary process, we extract valuable organics from agro residues.
Tanovis initially developed its technology as a complement to the production of cellulose fibres. Recent work has demonstrated the potential for integration of Tanovis’s processes with various Second Generation biorefinery schemes for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuel ethanol.
On 13 November 2018, the European Parliament (EP) approved new targets for renewables, energy efficiency and second-generation biofuels when it voted to confirm a provisional agreement on the revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDII).
Second-generation biofuels must provide at least 14% of transportation fuel by 2030. From 2019 until 2030, first-generation biofuels will be steadily phased out because they are considered to have a high risk for indirect land use change.
Tanovis is well positioned to tap into such a huge emerging resource. We have already shown our capability to extract high-purity, value-added components from intermediate biorefinery streams. We have demonstrated the utility of such products in the markets we already participate in.
Our believe is that value-added utilization of the biomass components that do not go into ethanol production could dramatically improve the economics of second-generation biofuels.
Research – Innosuisse Projects
PLT Innovations is a partner in two Innosuisse projects with Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH: https://www.bfh.ch/en/) and industrial partners from Switzerland. One project aims to replace a high percentage of the petrochemicals used in PU foams. The current annual global production of PU foams is around 15 million tons per year. The share of bio-based PU foams today is less than 0.01%. This offers a great opportunity to introduce one of our high purity, modified lignins to this market. The second project aims to develop a novel, thermoplastic system with a high proportion of lignin and other bio-based components.
Research – lignin characterization and typification
based on a history of almost 20 years, Tanovis today has an immense wealth of experience regarding the properties of various lignins that are available today. Our goal is to make this knowhow accessible to participants from various industries researching and developing sustainable applications.