Delivering a new, efficient and biobased plant oil and protein extraction system: EcoXtract

Programme:

• H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
• H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

Topic: EIC-FTI-2018-2020 - Fast Track to Innovation (FTI)

Call for proposal: H2020-EIC-FTI-2018-2020

Funding Scheme: IA - Innovation action

Grant agreement ID: 970931

Objective

The vegetable oil and related protein sectors use petroleum-based hexane to extract oil from plant materials. Hexane-based extraction is an old technology that is harmful to health and to the environment. Our ambition is to bring a new biobased solvent called EcoXtract® to the market for processing of oil- and protein-rich crops. This will replace hexane in a million tonne/year market leading to transformation of this global agri-food sector. The project will enable us to construct the world’s first large-scale and first small-scale EcoXtract-based oil extraction plants in Europe. This will be followed by world-wide transformation beyond the consortium enabled by our patented solvent technology: EcoXtract.

We will use an open innovation approach between five complementary European businesses. Vivaorganic is a developer of agri-food plant protein- and oil-based value chains. Pennakem is a global leader in green solvent systems. It developed and now owns the EcoXtract solvent technology. De Wit is a world leader in extracting and marketing high-value oilseed products. NHE is a leader in operating and scaling up extraction systems. An extensive programme of industrial-scale system testing, validation and optimisation followed by product prototying driven by the needs of two value chains lies at the heart of the project. Supported also by co-creative prototyping with clients, we will develop three new mutually supporting business lines within the EcoXtract® framework pioneering global transition of the sector to this new technology.

Oilseeds account for about one-fifth of global crop production. This project will revolutionise processing by introducing a biobased alternative to hexane in both low and high volume markets. The commercial-scale optimization of EcoXtract® will be a big step forward for the biobased sector and advance Horizon 2020’s impact on Societal Challenge 2 opening up new markets for the biobased solvent and its extraction products.

Murphy Bokern Donal: Awarded individual; financial share: € 159 250; Address: Lindenweg 12, 49393 Lohne, Germany