
Seaweed is known to contain many valuable substances. What is less known is that even the residual flows are an excellent raw material. Shared Research Center Biorizon and project partners will investigate in the ZCORE project over the next 3 years how seaweed waste flows can be used for the production of bio-coatings (paint) with superior properties compared to their fossil counterparts. This makes a positive contribution to greenhouse gas reduction; it strengthens the chemical industry and the open innovation network in the southern Netherlands.
Climate agreement: fast-growing seaweed extremely suitable for reducing CO₂
With the climate agreement, the Netherlands has committed itself to a greenhouse gas reduction of 49% in 2030 compared to 1990. For the chemical industry, this means, among other things, that by 2030 the share of biobased raw materials must almost quadruple compared to 2016 (from 4% to 15%). Seaweed is ideally suited for this: with an increase of 30% per day it is one of the fastest growing plants, due to cultivation at sea it does not compete for biomass growing on land. In addition to proteins for food applications algae contain , also inedible sugars that are currently not utilized. These inedible sugars can be a valuable raw material for chemistry.
40% of all chemicals are aromatic; the potential for greening is enormous
The sugars from residual flows of algae can be converted into bio-aromatics. 40% of all chemicals produced by the chemical industry are aromatic in nature. It concerns a worldwide annual volume of 122 million tons, worth over 115 billion euros and with an annual growth of 4-5%. Aromatics are used in plastics, paints, additives such as UV stabilizers and pigments, fibers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food ingredients such as vitamins, colors and flavors. Aromatics have so far been extracted from petroleum and this negatively affects the climate. That is why finding renewable raw materials is urgent.
Shared Research Center Biorizon: The Way to Aromatics
Biorizon is the most advanced bio-aromatics research program in the world. Shared Research Center Biorizon, an initiative of TNO and VITO, has been developing technologies for the production of bio-aromatics at the Green Chemistry Campus in Bergen op Zoom since 2013. Together with partners from the industry, Biorizon creates and develops innovative chemical processes for the production of sustainable aromatics from biomass residual flows. The ZCORE project is a good example of this.
More durable and cheaper coatings with superior properties
In the ZCORE project (from Seaweed to COating REsin applications) seaweed waste flows are converted into bio-aromatics and these are tested in coatings, among other things. The coatings industry would like to develop a fully biobased coating in order to respond to climate objectives and market demand. The ZCORE project works specifically on 100% biobased alkyd resins (paint). Until now, a 50-60% of biobased ingredients was achieved because no bio-aromatics were available on a sufficiently large scale. ZCORE is changing this. In addition to the increase in sustainability, ZCORE also brings potential cost reduction because Biorizon has developed a unique shortened route for the production of functional bio-aromatics compared to the fossil production route. Finally, the bio-aromatics also bring improved properties including superior abrasion resistance, gloss and UV resistance.
These three advantages ensure that this bio-coating can compete with fossil-based coatings. With a global coating market of 4 Mtonnes on an annual basis, this means a huge breakthrough in the field of 100% biobased coatings and will accelerate the realization of a biobased economy.
ZCORE project partners represent entire value chain
In the ZCORE project, the entire value chain comes together for the value of seaweed in bio-aromatics and its application in coatings. The SME partners Sea Harvest Holland and Engineering Chemicals, together with 5 leading coating manufacturers, form an important link to practice with their knowledge of seaweed production and applications of bio-aromatics in industrially relevant applications (such as coatings). The knowledge institutes TNO, Avans and Maastricht University have leading knowledge and technology in the field of biorefinery, bio-aromatics production, coating resins and sustainability analyzes. In addition to being a base, the Green Chemistry Campus is also involved in the dissemination and interaction with SMEs.
Strengthening the biobased economy in the South of the Netherlands
The Southern Netherlands region has a unique potential to grow seaweed, unlock the biomass and make it suitable as a raw material for the chemical industry via (bio) chemical conversion technology. A large number of agro and chemical companies are located in the region and there are strong partnerships between knowledge institutes and industry. The biobased economy is a spearhead in the Regional Innovation Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3) of the Southern Netherlands, with a focus on biobased raw materials and green building blocks.
The link between the knowledge platforms in the field of seaweed production and refining (Zeeland), bio-aromatic production (Brabant) and in the field of coating resins and sustainability (Limburg) within ZCORE results in a broadening and strengthening of the open innovation system.
South
The ZCORE project has a value of € 2 million and is made possible in part by the European Regional Development Fund and the provinces of Noord-Brabant, Zeeland and Limburg in the context of OPZuid.
More information or participate?
- For more information about the ZCORE project, please contact project leader Bastian de Bes via debes@tno.nl or +31 (0) 88 86 61418.
- Interested companies can contact us to discuss the possibilities for participation. For example, testing samples of bio-aromatics in applications.
- To be kept informed of developments within the ZCORE project and other bio-aromatics projects, join the Biorizon Community free of charge at https://www.biorizon.eu/community/

Educate more professionals for the energy transition

30% energy gain for water board Brabantse Delta

Valuable Smart Energy Lab Training certificate for RWE employees

The sustainable symposium

10th Biorizon Annual Event on Bio-Aromatics

Kick-off conference Energy(k) Education

BIO-CAPPP

GESCHIKT: energy transition on business parks

Rapid Renewable Materials: the next step in sustainable construction.

Mycelium on Board

From orange waste to a green future

Blueprint of fungal genomes

BioGov.net

Water-resistant mycelium composites

Sustainable Particle Board

Circular Emergency Shelters

FACET

Totally Nuts: Circular Biobased Thermosets from Cashew Nutshells

Biodegradation Coatings Stahl

Green Hub: Information hub value chains green residual flows

Acceleration of nature-inclusive area development

Reflow

Biobased Insulation – Lifespan Determination (BILD)

Setting up and performing biodiesel trials in a coaster ship

Mythic

PyroCHEM: Waste2Chem Innovation Cluster

Membrane Technologies

Flestic

Direct extrusion of PHA-rich biomass

Production of bioplastics from residual streams (WoW! Capitalisation)

Powering Agrifood

Smart Circular Bridge

Fungal Colourants

Learning Network Biobuilders

Orange in the Sea

Amino Acids!

Building on Mycelium

Follow-up S4G

Colour Application Centre

Making disposables disposable

Making shipping more sustainable (Russia – Benelux)

Zircular Seaweed food

Extraction of pectins from onion skins

Growing Leather

Learning Community Renewable fuels

PHA accumulation capacity of Sewage Treatment Plant

NACO – Zero Waste Collective Oosterhout

Bio Iso (RAAK MKB)

Design with RRM (rapidly renewable materials)

Resin biodegradation

Biobased gadgets

Biobased foam

Biobased flocculants for water purification

Viberscrete – biobased concrete

Innovation Traineeships

Building light

BioADD

CurCol

Learning community

Professors’ platform Biobased Economy

Porter’s lodge Delfland

Smart Circular Bridge

Biobased, circular Christmas bauble with packaging

Mycelium boards

Coloring Mycelium

Back to the Materials of the Future

National Biobased Database

Structural Health in Biobased Constructions

Beauti-Fully Biobased Fibers

Coffee Silverskin Biomass Utilization

Sustainable solid biofuels

Biobonding: Improved biocomposites

ZCORE (from Seaweed to COating Resin applications)

Cashing cashew

Material research for 3D printing

Seaweed Sterols

Onion deserves more

Circling in construction

Biomass flows in the province of South Holland

Circular Bio-based Construction Industry (CBCI)

Biodegradability of biopolymer and biopolymer composites

BBM+

Opportunities for composting in Brazil

Stadsjutters Breda

Innovation tables

Tomatozyme

MAA’s from algae

Sensor wise Biobased

Pyrolysis Experimental Garden South

Grassification

REFAWOOD

Valuable ONION

Biobased Network

Living Lab Biobased Brazil

Biopolymer Application Center

Borderless Biobased Education

Living Colors

Mycelium

BioCOLOUR

BioCannDo

Blue Chain

WOW!

Green Growth

Biobased Challenge

Biobased bridge

Pure Nature: 100% Biobased

National Biobased Knowledge Network
