HyFINE: Sustainable production of fine chemicals and specialties

The Dutch chemical industry faces the challenge of becoming more sustainable while remaining competitive. But for the production of fine chemicals and specialties, companies are heavily dependent on polluting fossil feedstocks. The use of green hydrogen and renewable energy offers opportunities for a transition. That is not only good for the environment, but also makes the Netherlands less dependent on countries with fossil resources and can give the sector a leading role worldwide in green chemistry.

HyFINE: objectives and activities

The HyFINE consortium focuses in the five-year research on the following strategic objectives:

• To make the chemical sector less dependent on fossil fuels and enable a switch to renewable feedstocks and a circular economy.

• To integrate green hydrogen and green electrons into high-value fine chemicals and specialties.

• To build an innovative value chain for the international chemical industry with new chemical processes, methods and technological approaches to improve efficiency in the chain and increase competitiveness.

• To strengthen the innovation ecosystem by promoting collaboration between large and emerging companies, different types of knowledge institutions and different stakeholders in the industry.

• To contribute to talent development and knowledge sharing, because the success of this project depends not only on scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations, but also on the skills and knowledge of the professionals who will apply these innovations.

To achieve the objectives, HyFINE has defined three main tasks:

1. First, the production of fine chemicals and specialties from bio-based and waste feedstocks using green hydrogen and green electrons is central. This involves the development of integrated value chains and conversion methodologies, including catalysts, scaling up, product testing and supporting tools.

2. Second, the consortium focuses on enabling technologies and methodologies to accelerate the conversion of green electricity (directly or via hydrogen) and sustainable feedstocks into high-value applications. Think, for example, of widely applicable tools, new catalysts, electrochemical and photochemical methods, reactor designs and techniques for sustainable synthesis.

3. Finally, to maximise impact, the consortium ensures coordination, strategic analysis and dissemination of all activities within the project.

Results

In general, the project should not only contribute to economic growth, climate neutrality and a strong position of the Netherlands as an innovation hub in Europe for the chemical industry. The project also contributes to a socially responsible development of chemical conversion technologies with green hydrogen and green electrons.

More specifically, the project will lead, among other things, to advanced methods for the development of proven, robust, flexible and efficient catalysts and proven processes. The consortium is also working towards better materials, cells and components for (electro)catalysis and thoroughly tested new reactors and equipment. In addition, new processes are tested for the synthesis of fine chemicals and specialties from bio-based feedstocks. Finally, after five years, there should be sufficient knowledge and a well-developed strategy to implement these new processes.

The HyFINE consortium

The consortium consists of: AkzoNobel, Avans University of Applied Sciences, Avantium, BASF, Bronkhorst, BTG Biomass Technology Group, Chaincraft, DIFFER, Feyecon, Fontys, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, InCat, Innosyn, Mevaldi, Nobian, Paques Biomaterials, Radboud University, University of Groningen, SCM Software for Chemistry & Materials, Shell, Shimadzu, Siemens, Signify, SULIS Polymers, Symrise, Eindhoven University of Technology, TNO, TU Delft, Leiden University, University of Twente, Utrecht University, University of Amsterdam, Vertoro, and Wageningen University & Research Centre.