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LUCRA

SustainabLe sUCcinic acid production using an integRAted electrochemical bioreactor and renewable feedstock

Project details

Type of project
Innovation Action - Demonstration
Project focus
Bio-based chemicals
Feedstock origin
Forestry waste
Organic waste
Feedstock type
Lignin & wood residues
Organic fraction of municipal solid waste
Project period
1 July 2023 - 30 June 2027
Status
In progress
CBE JU Contribution
€ 4 682 743,25
Call identifier
HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022

Summary

LUCRA will use the EU’s abundant and underutilised organic municipal solid waste and wood waste to produce bio-based succinic acid – a platform chemical for which there is significant demand in industry. It will deploy innovative hydrolysis methods to release carbohydrates from the waste and ferment them for the extraction of bio-succinic acid. 

The project’s high-yield methods will facilitate moves from pilot- to pre-industrial-scale production. To demonstrate this, the succinic acid will be used to make polyester-based polyurethane dispersions and resins. 

Circular utilisation of waste will reduce the cost of bio-succinic acid and dependence on fossil-based resources. LUCRA’s processes should also cut greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional succinic acid production. 

LUCRA aims to: 

  • secure resource- and energy-efficient use of sustainably sourced biomass; 

  • showcase a scalable and efficient process for sugar production from non-food biomass; 

  • optimise the fermentation and purification process to maximise bio-succinic acid production; 

  • demonstrate and validate succinic acid production and conversion to final products at pre-industrial scale; 

  • produce a range of commercial products from bio-succinic acid; 

  • reduce the costs and demonstrate the environmental advantages of bio-succinic acid and derived products; 

  • deliver business models to allow production at full industrial capacity; 

  • ensure wide visibility of the results and engage with stakeholders and other projects to maximise exploitation. 

LUCRA is expected to: 

  • unlock sustainable and circular bio-based feedstock value chains for the chemical industry; 

  • diversify the EU-produced bio-based chemical portfolio, including through the development of three products: bio-succinic acid (which can be used as an intermediate or directly, for example in cosmetics), polyurethane dispersions and resins; 

  • boost the sustainability and competitiveness of the European chemical industry; 

  • improve the sustainability of bio-based processes and value chains by generating lower emissions than existing bio-based (and fossil-based) chemical production methods and setting out a pathway towards carbon neutrality; 

  • support market uptake and enhance public awareness and acceptance of bio-based solutions. 

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • BIO BASE EUROPE PILOT PLANT VZW Desteldonk Gent, Belgium

Consortium

  • STEINBEIS INNOVATION GGMBH Stuttgart, Germany
  • COVESTRO DEUTSCHLAND AG Leverkusen, Germany
  • UNIVERSITEIT GENT Gent, Belgium
  • MONTINUTRA OY Turku, Finland
  • CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE Roma, Italy
  • HYDROHM Nazareth, Belgium
  • GEOPONIKO PANEPISTIMION ATHINON ATHINA, Greece
  • FCC MEDIO AMBIENTE SAU Madrid, Spain
  • COVESTRO (NETHERLANDS) BV Geleen, Netherlands
Partners
  • INEUVO LTD Lichfield, United Kingdom