18-06-2015
Does the dashboard of the future grow at SABIC?
June 2015 SABIC, Green Chemistry Campus and NNRGY Crops revealed elephant grass that was planted by NNRGY Crops on the premises of SABIC in Bergen op Zoom. At the Campus NNRGY Crops will investigate how fibres derived from elephant grass can be used to reinforce performance plastics, such as dashboards in cars. This project actively contributes to the establishment of a biobased economy in the region.
"At the Green Chemistry Campus I come across valuable opportunities", Jan-Govert van Gilst of NNRGY Crops says. "Here I find exciting ideas with regard to the valorisation of biomass and I'm being pointed towards unique collaborations, such as this cooperation with SABIC that is kindly providing me land to grow elephant grass."
Elephant grass grows particularly well on waste land and absorbs over four times more CO2 than an average forest, in less time. On top of that the crop is low in maintenance and it contains valuable green building blocks that can be applied in biobased applications.
After projects in cities such as Rotterdam and Zwolle, NNRGY Crops now starts a project on the premises of SABIC in Bergen op Zoom. NNRGY Crops contributes to the project by financing the planting en cultivation of the crop, while SABIC provides the ground. The Bergen op Zoom based company Verhalst was responsible for cultivating the ground. The chemical tests with the elephant grass will be undertaken on the Green Chemistry Campus in the laboratories of SABIC.
About the project partners
- Green Chemistry Campus tenant NNRGY Crops grows elephant grass (Miscanthus Giganteus) on waste land and uses its green building blocks to produce paper, bio-concrete en bio-plastic. To be used locally, with locally sourced companies on the location where the biomass grows.
- SABIC is the ‘Saudi Basic Industries Corporation’, one of the world's prominent producers of chemicals, fertilizers, plastics and metals. SABIC helps its customers worldwide by supplying advanced materials that enable them to produce performance products. In Bergen op Zoom SABIC produces various plastic products, such as polycarbonate.
- The Green Chemistry Campus, located of the premises of SABIC, is one of the country's five Centres for Open Chemical Innovation. Entrepreneurs, governments and knowledge institutions closely together work on innovations on the cutting edge of agro and chemistry. Besides SABIC, the province of North-Brabant, the municipality of Bergen op Zoom and N.V. REWIN West-Brabant initiated the Campus.
In the picture (by Hein Akkermans): Dennis van der Pas, manager Green Chemistry Campus, Jan-Govert van der Gilst, founder NNRGY Crops and Jeroen Castelijn, site manager SABIC Bergen op Zoom.
