PHACTUS

PHA through continuous, Tunable, Safe and Sustainable production

Project details

Type of project
Innovation Action - Demonstration
Feedstock origin
Organic waste
Feedstock type
Organic fraction of municipal solid waste
Project period
1 September 2026 - 31 August 2029
Status
Upcoming
CBE JU Contribution
€ 6 876 549,22
Call identifier
HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025

Summary

Current production of biodegradable polymers, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), typically employs batch or sequencing-batch processes, which restrict efficiency, reliability, and scalability. Moving towards a fully continuous production system offers the potential to reduce costs, enhance process control, increase product consistency, and improve economic and environmental sustainability by improving resource and energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  

PHACTUS aims to address this challenge by scaling up a first-of-its-kind fully continuous process to produce biodegradable polymers from mixed microbial cultures, covering all upstream and downstream sections. The process uses urban organic waste, including the organic fraction of municipal solid waste collected through sorting, and surplus sludge from wastewater treatment, as the main feedstock. 

This approach enables broader industrial adoption by turning urban organic waste into high-quality materials, combining improved efficiency with environmental benefits and strengthening European market competitiveness. 

  • Set up a continuous-flow pilot plant for producing PHAs from urban organic waste and excess sludge from municipal wastewater treatment, including continuous upstream and downstream methods and processes.  
  • Develop tools for online monitoring and process control using advanced modelling and digital solutions to ensure robust, reliable, and reproducible production. 
  • Demonstrate continuous onsite production of ready-to-use biodegradable polymers from organic waste, suitable for a wide range of industrial applications while being economically competitive and environmentally sustainable. 
  • Ensure that the continuous production technology and resulting biodegradable polymers are safe, sustainable, and socially and economically responsible, complying with EU standards. 
  • Promote the exploitation of project outcomes from an industrial and commercial perspective through activities such as the definition of advanced marketing strategies and assessment of replicability at EU regional and national levels, as well as adequate dissemination and communication. 

  • Demonstrate a large portfolio of bio-based materials with adequate performance for applications in strategic sectors such as civil construction, agriculture, bio-based composites and packaging. 
  • Reduce the life-cycle carbon footprint of polymers by 57% while avoiding 2.351 kg CO2 eq/ton of PHA compared with crop-based production. 
  • Lower PHA production costs to €3/kg or below, compared with current commercial technologies where PHA costs exceed €5/kg, while simultaneously enhancing economic impact. 
  • Enable the production potential of up to 120 kilotonnes per year of PHAs from municipal organic waste if 10% of the projected future collection is converted, approaching current global production levels.  
  • Contribute to the growth of the European PHA value chain by creating new market opportunities for waste managers, polymer producers, and end-users through the development of new bio-based materials. 
  • Support the creation of new green employment opportunities across Europe linked to bio-based materials production, waste valorisation, and circular economy activities. 

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA Roma, Italy

Consortium

  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI VERONA Verona, Italy
  • EUROPEAN BIOECONOMY BUREAU Bruxelles / Brussel, Belgium
  • BIOTREND-INOVACAO E ENGENHARIA EM BIOTECNOLOGIA SA CANTANHEDE, Portugal
  • NATUREPLAST MONDEVILLE, France
  • UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES PRIFYSGOLDE CYMRU Pontypridd, United Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITE DE MONTPELLIER Montpellier, France
  • KIEPE Electric S.p.A. Caponago, Italy
  • ACEA INFRASTRUCTURE SpA Rome, Italy
  • Acea Ambiente S.p.A. Roma, Italy
  • PAQUES BIOMATERIALS BV BALK, Netherlands
  • UNIVERSITA CA' FOSCARI VENEZIA VENEZIA, Italy
  • CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE Roma, Italy
  • STICHTING WETSUS, EUROPEAN CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER TECHNOLOGY Leeuwarden, Netherlands
  • SYDDANSK UNIVERSITET Odense M, Denmark
  • AQUAINSILICO LDA TORRES VEDRAS, Portugal
  • INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT PARIS CEDEX 07, France
  • NOVA ID FCT - ASSOCIACAO PARA A INOVACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DA FCT Caparica, Portugal
  • SIPHA SOCIETA A RESPONSABILITA LIMITATA FROSINONE, Italy
  • BIO-MI DRUSTVO S OGRANICENOM ODGOVORNOSCU ZA PROIZVODNJU, ISTRAZIVANJEI RAZVOJ MATULJI, Croatia