Bavaria is characterized by a strong contrast of rural regions and a few urban centers. This opens up prospects for more sustainable production, management and consumption, as well as for the targeted economic promotion of regions that have so far been structurally rather disadvantaged.
One of the most important aspects of the sustainable bioeconomy is to replace fossil raw materials such as petroleum with renewable resources. In the best case, these come from regional sources. This not only reduces CO 2 emissions, but can help both the agriculture and forestry like the economy in general.
In Bavaria, the peculiarities and strengths of the individual regions complement each other and show potential for how the interlocking of a wide variety of research, economic and industrial sectors can enable the large-scale implementation of a sustainable bioeconomy.
Already today, many drivers and actors are optimally networked with each other, and there is a lively exchange of knowledge between experts from research, science, industry, business and politics.
One of the research focuses in Straubing is the use of renewable raw materials for the production biobased polymers , which are subsequently used to produce plastics, textile fibers and much more can be produced. Interdisciplinary and cross-industry collaboration makes it possible to include questions of feasibility, marketability and commercialization from the outset.
The direct link between research and concrete application is established by the Biocampus at the Straubing-Sand port. This forms an "ecosystem for innovations in the biobased economy" [1] and offers settlement areas for companies and start-ups driving the transformation to the bioeconomy . The site is scheduled to be expanded in 2021 with the Bio-Campus MultiPilot facility, funded by the Free State of Bavaria, where companies can test their biotechnological processes under laboratory or industrial conditions.
The rural regions - abundance of raw materials and technological know-how
Arable land, meadows, forests and bodies of water: Bavaria's rural areas are characterized by the diversity they can provide in terms of renewable raw materials for the manufacture of bio-based, sustainable products.
At the same time, a continuously growing network of innovative companies is emerging there that are involved in the development and manufacture of sustainable products, some of which already rely on the use of renewable resources, bio-based and cycle-oriented solutions for their products.
The design of a sustainable bioeconomy that utilizes the particular strengths of the regions is thus associated with great economic prospects for agriculture and forestry as producers of raw materials and offers Bavarian industry and research the opportunity to distinguish themselves in international competition at an early stage.
One of the most important aspects of the sustainable bioeconomy is to replace fossil raw materials such as petroleum with renewable resources. In the best case, these come from regional sources.
Bavaria's rural areas stand out for the diversity of renewable resources they can provide for the production of bio-based, sustainable products. (Source: Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry)
The striking examples described below show (without claiming to be complete) how the renewable resources available in Bavaria's rural regions already form the basis for sustainable value creation.
The individual wood components cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin can be processed into starting materials for biobased chemicals and materials. Today, the lignin contained in wood is used in pulp and paper production, and due to its high calorific value, serves as a residual material for energy production. In the future, it can be used for the production of phenolic base materials for biobased resins, adhesives or foams, among others. Sugars obtained from the cellulose can be used fermentatively for the production of biobased basic chemicals.
The Finnish UPM GmbH, originally a paper industry company, has strategically focused on the use of biomass as a raw material for composites, biobased chemicals and biofuels. An industrial biorefinery for the production of bio-monoethylene glycol, functional fillers, bio-monopropylene glycol as well as industrial sugar is under construction.
The start-up LXP Group has developed an innovative process for the improved digestion of lignocellulosic raw materials, which provides natural lignin and pure cellulose as well as hemicellulose as feedstock for the production of bio-based materials. For the construction of a demonstration plant, the LXP Group GmbH has settled near Straubing.
Wood is the renewable raw material for the production of pulp. This serves as a raw material for the production of regenerated fibers such as viscose. The Bavarian company Kelheim Fibres GmbH is the market leader for hygiene fibers and other special fibers made of viscose.
The Pfleiderer Group B.V. & Co. KG, from Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, is a Europe-wide manufacturer of wood-based materials from sustainable forestry with production sites in Germany and Poland. The company already implements the concept of circular economy and cascade use at its sites.
Climate-neutral plus-energy houses build the company Haas Wohnbau, based in Falkenberg, Lower Bavaria, from wood and equips them with building technology based on renewable energies.
Sustainable lightweight construction solutions made of wood realizes the Lignoa Leichtbau GmbH from the Franconian Rückersdorf. The startup has developed a technique for the production of stable, 3D-molded structural components that are up to 30 percent lighter than comparable aluminum components.
Climate-neutral plus-energy houses build the company Haas Wohnbau, based in Falkenberg, Lower Bavaria, from wood and equip them with building technology based on renewable energies.
provide biogenic raw materials for the production of technical oils, starch and sugar, which are used with the help of new biotechnological processes for the production of bio-based basic chemicals, technical biopolymers and bio-based plastics, among other things.
A pilot project on bio-based circular economy with bio-based, compostable organic bags made of potato and corn starch is currently being conducted by C.A.R.M.E.N. e. V. in Straubing with municipal partners and industrial companies such as Novamont SpA and Südzucker AG to test for the first time the cascade use of the bags as service packaging, keep-fresh and organic waste bags in practice, to sensitize Bavarian companies for bio-based, compostable plastic products and to gain knowledge about consumer acceptance [2].
In the "C4 Biorefinery" project of the Waste2Value6 cooperation network, research is being conducted with the participation of the Chair of Microbiology at the Technical University of Munich into how biobutanol can be obtained from by-products, residues and waste materials from the milling industry and further processed into biobased lubricants.
The extraction of enzymes, soaps and surfactants from mill by-products for the production of ecologically certified detergents and cleaning agents is the goal of the Waste2Value project "EcoWash-Cycle", in which the Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich and the Bayerischer Müllerbund e. V. are involved.
Russian dandelion is suitable for the production of isoprenoids, from which rubber for car tires can be made. Eskusa GmbH from Lower Bavaria is a plant breeding company and is successfully working to increase the yield of isoprenoids from the milk of the dandelion.
straw can be processed into moisture-regulating insulating packaging, which after use can be returned to the natural cycle of recyclable materials via compost (Landpack GmbH, Alling).
In combination with compostable plastic, it is even possible with straw to create biodegradable, flame-retardant materials - for example, for designer furniture, thermal insulation or elastic flooring [4].
Because of the problem of "tank or plate" in the competition for arable land with the food industry, the company Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH was looking for bio-based alternatives for the production of basic chemicals and biofuels. Today, the demonstration plant built in Straubing converts residual straw into bioethanol using the so-called Sunliquid® process. In Romania, Clariant is building a commercial production plant with a cellulosic ethanol production of 50,000 tons per year.
A wide variety of residual materials are produced in agriculture and the food industry. Pomace, for example, which accumulates during the production of wine or juices after squeezing, contains valuable ingredients. The Bavarian start-up Wisefood GmbH from Garching produces edible drinking straws from apple pomace. Valuable proteins, sugars and polyphenols can still be extracted from the spent grains left over from brewing beer. And from the remaining carbohydrates, further products such as ethanol or acetic acid can be produced by fermentation. The residues from hop cultivation also hold potential for material use. For example, fiber-like raw materials for technical applications can be obtained from the tendrils, which grow up to eight meters high [5].
With natural fibers from hemp, jute, flax or wood, bio-based plastics in lightweight construction may in the future replace the previously common carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, which are very energy-intensive to produce. The high load-bearing capacity and good acoustic damping properties of the natural fiber-reinforced material have already been tested in practical tests in the automotive sector [3].
The threads of spiders are made up of proteins. Biotechnological processes can be used to synthesize these proteins and spin functional high-performance fibers for technical applications. This technology, developed at the University of Bayreuth, is being brought to industrial implementation by the company Amsilk GmbH in Planegg. The developments go from cosmetic ingredients, medical coating materials to Biosteel® fibers, which could one day replace carbon fibers.
Microalgae are an alternative biomass producer. They do not compete with food and partly accrue as residues in industrial manufacturing processes such as biodiesel production. Combined with other biological waste materials, they can be used to produce plastic films [7].
Microalgae are photosynthetically active microorganisms that bind CO 2 and build higher-value molecules from it. These can be, for example, fine chemicals or lipids.
Oils (lipids) from unicellular algae can also be used as a climate-friendly alternative to petroleum-based fuels. Today, the production of fine and specialty chemicals using microalgae is considered more economical.
Urban agglomerations: resources of our civilization
Naturally, urban agglomerations have different conditions for the use of renewable resources than agricultural regions. Nevertheless, there are a number of projects that address the question of how urban areas can be included in bioeconomic cycles despite land sealing and building development.
Meanwhile, it has been shown that urban architecture can certainly be used to cultivate renewable resources or reduce CO2 emissions. For example, a research team of scientists from the University of Cologne and the Jülich Research Center demonstrated "that greened facades in cities significantly improve air quality, oxygen production, biodiversity, and even facade temperatures" and represent "a very useful measure for adaptation to climate change" - "not only in terms of city temperature, but also with regard to the problem of particulate matter" [8]. Vertical green walls, however, are also becoming increasingly popular indoors - not only do they create a special ambience, but at the same time they help to improve indoor air, have a sound-insulating effect and thus also improve working conditions in offices.
In addition, tests are being carried out on how roof terraces can be used as growing areas for food. For example, scientists at the Technical University of Berlin combined plant cultivation with fish farming in the "Roof Water Farm" project [9].
Vertical farming is a future concept for food supply in cities. Space is saved by growing food in multi-story buildings. Through intelligent control and highly efficient systems, water consumption is reduced and the use of pesticides may even become unnecessary. However, the use of renewable energy is essential for this, as the energy demand from LED lighting is very high. Whether vertical farming will be used on a large scale in Germany remains to be seen. However, Bavarian companies such as Osram Licht AG are among the global technology leaders for the required LED technology.
A true ecological closed-loop system for growing vegetables, fruit and herbs on the home balcony or terrace was developed by the start-up Geco-Gardens, which emerged from the University of Hohenheim [10]. It creates a connection to nature in urban living spaces and uses available resources - from sunlight for a solar-powered water and nutrient cycle to biowaste for the production of organic fertilizer and water. Munich-based Agrilution Systems is pursuing a similar goal with its Vertical Farming "Plantcube" for the home - with intelligent lighting that simulates the wavelength of the sun, sensor-based climate control and a particularly economical closed water cycle [11].
Urban waste has potential for the bioeconomy
While arable land for renewable raw materials is scarce in urban areas, cities generate a particularly large amount of waste that can also be recycled. In addition to optimizing the collection and recording of urban biowaste, biogenic residues such as grass clippings and residues from urban parks are also seen as having potential for use. Bio-waste from urban restaurants and cafés such as coffee grounds, which are produced in large quantities every day, can also be further utilized as a residual material. The company Pilzpaket grows edible mushrooms on coffee grounds and sells mushroom cultivation kits for its own cultivation [12].
In large cities, large amounts of wastewater and e-waste also accumulate, which are valuable feedstocks in a circular bioeconomy. BRAIN AG of Zwingenberg, Germany, has developed a biological solution for recovering valuable metals from secondary raw materials [13]. The company, a pioneer of the bioeconomy and industrial biotechnology, also worked in the Zero Carbon Footprint (ZeroCarbFP) strategic alliance to extract valuable building blocks for the industrial production of bioplastics, deicing and cooling agents, or high-tech oils and fats from carbon-rich waste such as flue gas, sewage sludge, and industrial wastewater using microorganisms [14]. Fraunhofer UMSICHT in Sulzbach-Rosenberg also developed a process for recovering the valuable material phosphate and valuable minerals from sewage sludge in order to use them again for fertilization in agriculture, for example [15].
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