NZ Bio Forestry and Refine Holdings sign a Memorandum of Understanding and a biochemical technology schedule.
Japan based Refine Holdings and NZ Bio Forestry have signed an MoU in Tokyo on 18 May 2023. This MoU outlines a joint research and commercial programme to develop a suite of biochemicals from Pinus radiata for the automotive, technology, EV battery, and solvent markets.
NZ Bio Forestry CEO, Wayne Mulligan, says NZ Bio Forestry has invested five years in refining Pinus radiata at tonne scale. “We have completed the technical feasibility and commercial validation to form biochemicals, bioenergy and biomaterials. This work with Refine Holdings will be undertaken with our Taiwan partner, INSPIRA Applied BioSolutions which owns the proprietary bioconversion technology platform.
“We’re focusing our biochemical platform to meet the needs of Refine Holdings in illustrating how biochemical refining enables development of non-fossil energy, material, and chemical products.”
“We are proud to be working with Refine Holdings in Taiwan and Japan,” Mulligan says. “NZ Bio Forestry believes Aotearoa-New Zealand can be at the forefront of connecting with exciting markets seeking new and globally relevant biochemical applications.”
President/CEO Dr. Yasuhito Kawase of Refine Holdings believes building a sustainable society by replacing underground resources with terrestrial, non-fossil, resources is an urgent task for humankind. This includes all chemical materials and energy consumed through manufacturing processes.
“We are excited to cooperate with NZ Bio Forestry and hope that this project, which realises effective use of unused biomass resources in New Zealand, will provide practical chemical products such as organic solvents all over the world,” Dr. Kawase says. “Combining recycling of those solvents is one of the Refine group’s specialties. We aim to achieve a true cradle-to-cradle-circular bioeconomy. We aim to be a role model of a sustainable society,” he says.
About:
Refine Holdings, a Japanese company, is one of the largest solvent recyclers in East Asia. It specialises in distillation technologies and has four realms of business including toll solvent recycling service, solvent recycling system engineering, bio-based solvent development, and unutilized nature-derived material development. It aims to realise a sustainable society committed to high-quality environmental standards.