AVALON Industries has announced that it has acquired all bio-based chemistry activities from AVA-CO2 Schweiz AG and will divest its Hydrothermal Carbonisation (HTC) technology to International Power Invest AG.
AVALON Industries AG, the new entity of Swiss-based company AVA-CO2 Schweiz AG, has announced that it is taking over all bio-based chemistry activities from AVA-CO2 with immediate effect. In order to fully focus on biochemistry, AVA-CO2 has also decided to sell its Hydrothermal Carbonisation (HTC) technology to the globally active International Power Invest AG, a holding company investing in renewable energy projects. From now on, AVA-CO2 will act as a holding company.
Bio 5-HMF focus
According to a statement the move is in response to rapid application developments relating to bio-based chemical 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and following increased 5-HMF demand from value chain partners, AVALON Industries was created to take advantage of new market opportunities and to prepare for future large-scale production. A subsidiary of AVA-CO2, AVALON Industries is taking over all operational activities from AVA-CO2 and will focus on the global implementation of the Hydrothermal Processing (HTP) technology for the industrial-scale production of 5-HMF. This technology was successfully developed and patented by AVA-CO2 over the last seven years. A platform chemical 5-HMF is used in a broad range of applications in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries.
All technical, operational and commercial activities as well as the associated rights and obligations currently held by AVA-CO2 are being transferred to AVALON Industries. AVALON Industries will roll-out the HTP technology globally to be used in future, large-scale 5-HMF production plants in order to meet the huge demand of the rapidly growing market for bio-based chemicals – specifically in the areas of bioplastics as well as bio-based resins and adhesives.
AVA Biochem BSL AG, the operator of the ‘Biochem-1’ production plant in Muttenz, Switzerland, becomes an AVALON Industries subsidiary and will continue to focus on 5-HMF production for the fine chemicals market. With this, AVALON Industries is now taking control of the existing 5-HMF production capacity, as well as the expertise and know-how related to the proprietary HTP technology. In this constellation, AVALON Industries is fully equipped for the future successful, commercial, industrial-scale implementation of 5-HMF production.
HTC to International Power Invest
International Power Invest AG, a Swiss holding company active in renewable energy projects, has acquired AVA-CO2’s “HTC-0” industrial scale demonstration plant and all relevant HTC Intellectual Property rights. Among other renewable energy projects, IPI has also invested in the “Innovationspark Vorpommern” located in Relzow, Germany and plans to continue the development, industrialisation and international roll-out of the HTC technology.
