CERISEA · Competitive production of HMF and derivatives for an Eco-designed and Resilient Industry towards Sustainable European Autonomy

In pursuit of offering solutions that are respectful of both human health and the environment, and supporting the resilience of European economy, Michelin Engineered Polymers and its partners join their forces to launch the CERISEA Flagship, aiming to produce for the very first time on industrial large scale, the highly important bio-based chemical platform: 5-HMF (5-Hydroxymethylfurfural), from fructose and advanced fructose from non-food side streams. HMF is a key intermediate between biomass and biochemicals and is known as the “Sleeping Giant”, due to its versatility and ability to replace a broad range of conventionally produced building blocks. However, today, there are no large scale industrial and profitable processes to produce HMF. CERISEA aims to be the first to awaken the Sleeping Giant. The project will demonstrate the broad range of bio-based sustainable applications for HMF including araminolic resins, crop science, functionalised bio-polymers (modified starch), functionalised compounds, polyesters, polyamides, polyurethanes and plasticizers. CERISEA bio-based products will meet market and technical performance requirements, facilitating the adoption of these solutions in the market. The project will be fully circular, with the valorisation of by-products called humins in 2 applications (araminolic resins and crop science). Also, the integration of HMF and humins (produced using a Process using fructose coming from wheat crops) in crop science and more specifically in biostimulants that will be tested on grains, including wheat, will demonstrate the creation of a truly circular system “from grain to grain”. The consortium includes 15 partners, of which 9 members of the Bio-based Industry Consortium (BIC) and 5 brand owners. It covers the entire value chain, from feedstock supply up to the end-users who have provide Letters of Intent. CERISEA will also implement synergies with the CBE Flagship PEFerence which is producing FDCA from a blend made of HMF.