Covestro's innovative method uses plant-based sugars, drastically reducing its carbon footprint.
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Bio-based Breakthrough
A major leap for sustainable chemistry! At its Leverkusen site, Covestro has opened a pilot plant for bio-based aniline, replacing petroleum with plant biomass. This groundbreaking process, developed with leading scientific partners, is a milestone in Covestro’s push for a circular economy.
Redefining Aniline Production
Aniline, essential among other things for insulating foams in buildings and refrigerators, has long depended on fossil fuels, driving CO2 emissions. Covestro’s innovative method uses plant-based sugars, drastically reducing its carbon footprint. With a seven-digit investment, the pilot plant will refine the technology and prepare it for industrial scale, addressing the growing global demand for aniline.
Harnessing the Power of Biotechnology
A customized microorganism helps convert an industrial sugar extracted from plants into an intermediate product through fermentation. This takes place under milder and thus more environmentally compatible conditions than in conventional processes. In a second step, chemical catalysis of the intermediate product then creates the aniline with one hundred percent plant-based carbon. This approach is supported by Germany’s federal funding and partnerships with leading universities.
Guests at the launch, including Deputy Minister President Mona Neubaur, praised the project as a beacon of innovation and collaboration. With this breakthrough, Covestro is strengthening its leadership in sustainable chemistry, proving that innovation and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
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