Against the background that the global green and low-carbon transformation continues to accelerate and my country is fully promoting the dual carbon goals of "carbon peaking in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060", a high-end technology seminar focusing on microbial PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) technology from laboratory to industrialization was successfully held at the Biology Hall of Tsinghua University. This event was guided by Professor Chen Guoqiang of Tsinghua University, who has more than 30 years of experience in PHA research, and was co-organized by Beijing Bluepha, Shanghai DBC, APP Sinar Mas and Hengxin Life. It aimed to accelerate the implementation of bio-based packaging and create a new path for green packaging through in-depth collaboration between industry, academia and research.
At the seminar, participating experts and business representatives had in-depth discussions on key issues such as microbial PHA fermentation manufacturing, modified emulsion and large-scale application of paper-based packaging, and reached a number of technical and market cooperation consensuses. Professor Chen Guoqiang holds dozens of international patents, masters the independently original "Halophilic Bacteria Chassis Technology", and has made outstanding contributions in the research and development of new polymer biological materials in my country. He pointed out that through multi-party collaboration and technical research, PHA modified emulsification technology has broad prospects in the field of high-end paper-based packaging, and is expected to provide a feasible technical path for green packaging and biodegradation industries.
Bluepha and DBC have joined forces to accelerate the large-scale mass production of microbial PHA, and realize efficient application of fermentation manufacturing and modified dispersion emulsification technology:
Ms. Xu Xuanming, founder and chairman of Beijing Bluepha, reviewed the arduous research process of this technology from laboratory to industrialization. As a technology enterprise incubated by Tsinghua University, Bluepha has brought together cutting-edge research and development capabilities and formed the world's leading microbial fermentation process advantages through long-term accumulation. Xu Xuanming said that Bluepha will continue to uphold the concept of long-termism and is confident in the vast market of PHA in the future.
Lin Fanqiu, chairman of DBC Group, pointed out that in the next three to five years, PHA is expected to become an important leader in the "carbon negative products" sector. Facing the global trend of increasing attention to carbon footprint accounting and GHG scope 3 management, China is fully implementing green and low-carbon technical regulations such as carbon trading rules, providing strong policy and market support for the large-scale application of PHA. At the same time, the world's leading "halobacteria chassis technology" invented by Professor Chen Guoqiang also brings new possibilities for the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide into PHA materials on a large scale. Through the independently developed key technology of "PHA family multi-component modification and water dispersion system", DBC has made breakthroughs in core aspects such as the miscibility modification of Bioten biopolymer and BASF's advanced materials and precise control of grafting. It has successfully prepared a water-based modified emulsion with excellent water-blocking, oil-blocking, gas-blocking and heat-sealing adhesion properties. It is expected to realize its large-scale application in paper-based packaging. This achievement not only provides a solid technical foundation for the global "paper-based plastic" and green and low-carbon development, but also further promotes the technological innovation of PHA in more application scenarios such as coatings and adhesives, and opens up new practical directions for the bio-based materials industry.
APP Sinar Mas and Hengxin Life have joined hands to create a closed loop of industrial chain innovation, and leading papermaking and packaging companies have accelerated the commercialization process of PHA paper-based packaging:
Mr. Wang Lexiang, CEO of Sinar Mas Group’s APP Global Large Paper Business Group, said that as the world’s leading paper company, Sinar Mas Group has always regarded sustainable development as its core strategy. In the future, the Group will work with industry partners to accelerate the commercialization of PHA materials with carbon-negative properties through technological innovation and market cultivation, and contribute more competitive Chinese solutions to the "paper-to-plastic" global environmental protection field.
Yan Deping, chairman of Hengxin Life, a well-known packaging manufacturing company, emphasized that this cooperation is not only an agreement, but also a commitment to jointly fulfill social responsibilities. Hengxin Life will work with all parties to open up the entire chain of "raw material research and development - process optimization - scale production - marketing" with an open mind and pragmatic actions, so that PHA bio-based materials can truly become a "green engine" for plastic reduction and carbon reduction, and drive China's green packaging industry towards a more sustainable future.
Wang Junming, technical director of APP Bohui Paper of APP Sinar Mas, further pointed out that PHA emulsion paper-based coating has huge demand in high-end application scenarios, which not only fits the group's sustainable development concept of "creating green with green", but also provides a more practical technical solution for "paper-based plastic" in the field of environmentally friendly packaging. To truly achieve large-scale application, in-depth collaboration between upstream and downstream enterprises is required to accelerate the commercialization process of PHA water-based emulsions and their modification solutions, thereby promoting the early achievement of the carbon reduction goal of the industrial chain. Sinar Mas Group APP has the strength and motivation to contribute a feasible Chinese example to global green development.
Signing Ceremony and Future Outlook:
After the seminar at the Biology Hall of Tsinghua University was successfully concluded, the Sifang enterprise team immediately moved to the Bluepha of Beijing Sino-German Industrial Park, signed a strategic cooperation agreement on the "Collaborative Innovation Development of PHA Water-based Emulsion Green Packaging", and agreed on a roadmap for large-scale implementation. This move marks a major breakthrough in China's PHA microbial synthesis technology in the field of green packaging and injects strong impetus into the upgrading of the bio-based packaging industry chain.
According to statistics, the current total global plastic production is about 390 million tons, but the recycling rate is low, resulting in a large amount of petroleum-based plastics posing serious challenges to the ecological environment and human health. In contrast, PHA is synthesized through microbial fermentation and can be decomposed into water and carbon dioxide in soil and marine environments, achieving closed-loop utilization "from source to end". With the help of carbon trading, carbon tax and plastic restriction policies, if the process is further optimized, PHA's full life cycle emissions are expected to even reach a "negative carbon" level. If 5% of traditional plastics in food packaging are replaced with PHA composite paper, approximately 500,000 tons of plastic waste can be reduced every year, bringing a win-win situation to cost reduction, efficiency improvement and environmental protection.
The achievement of this four-party strategic cooperation fully demonstrates the deep collaboration and innovation of the entire industry chain from raw material production, modified emulsification, paper product manufacturing to terminal packaging promotion. Looking to the future, all parties will continue to deepen technological breakthroughs, optimize cost structures, and strengthen brand promotion and market applications, so that PHA materials can be applied on a larger scale on green packaging and carbon-negative paths, injecting new vitality into my country's dual carbon goals and the global circular economy and sustainable development.
Introduction to the four-party cooperative enterprises (in order of upstream and downstream of the industrial chain)
About micro-factory
Bluepha is an innovative and influential technology company in the frontier field of biomanufacturing. With the core mission of "From Microbes to a Green Future", it develops and manufactures green polymer biomaterials PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) through the transformation and engineering application of halophilic microorganisms. Relying on the founding team's nearly 40 years of PHA research, Bluepha continues to explore more than 10 billion combinations of PHA families, develops modified applications that meet market demand, and works with industry chain partners to provide overall PHA industrialization solutions, and ultimately promotes the realization of the beautiful vision of "making PHA Life a lifestyle for thousands of households", landing PHAmily-PHAbrary-PHAdustry-PHA Life" innovation strategic path. In the future, Bluepha will continue to provide sustainable solutions based on green bio-based materials to global customers with its core positioning as "a global leader in synthetic biology and bio-manufacturing".
About DBC
DBC DBC is an innovative enterprise focusing on the application of new materials. It is committed to technology investment, R&D and manufacturing of environmentally friendly high-performance materials and green low-carbon industries. Since its establishment in Shanghai in 2010, we have rapidly grown into a representative of "Shanghai Innovative Enterprises" and "Specialized and Special New Enterprises" by virtue of our continuous exploration of functional and environmentally friendly materials. Business coverage: R&D and application innovation of environmentally friendly high-performance materials, new energy battery materials, new paper-based packaging materials, urban renewal low-carbon functional materials, coatings, adhesives, additives and other application scenarios. DBC Group's biopolymer Bioten™ technology brand provides technical support for collaborative innovation in the PHA industry chain.
About Sinar Mas Group APP
The full name of Sinar Mas Group APP (China) is Sinar Mas Paper (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and its companies invested in mainland China. Since entering China in 1992, it has always adhered to the sustainable development strategy and strived to practice green recycling with the concept of "forest-pulp-paper integration" of sustainable papermaking. At present, APP (China) has forestry division, pulp division, large paper division, household paper division, etc. With sales in China of approximately 92.6 billion yuan in 2023, total assets of approximately 242.7 billion yuan, and 26,000 full-time employees, it is a world-famous paper company.
About Hengxin Life
Hengxin Life (stock code: 301501), founded in 1997, is a high-tech enterprise engaged in the research, development, production and sales of paper and plastic tableware. The company has a rich product line and excellent product quality. It has become a supplier of paper and plastic tableware to many well-known domestic and foreign companies. The company has a dominant position in the field of biodegradable tableware, and its sales area covers Asia, North America, Oceania, Europe and other countries and regions. The company is the vice-president unit of the Degradable Plastics Professional Committee of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association. It has been rated as one of the top ten enterprises in China's light industrial plastics industry (degradable plastics) for six consecutive years. It has been rated as the "Specialized, Special and New" champion enterprise in Anhui Province, and the "Third Product" demonstration enterprise in the consumer goods industry in Anhui Province. It was selected into the fourth batch of specialized, special and new "Little Giant" enterprise lists; it won the China Light Industry Advanced Unit Award for Integration of Informatization and Industrialization, and the Bio-based and Biodegradable Materials Market Promotion Contribution Award. The company has multiple production bases, and its products cover catering industries such as fast food, takeout, and beverages, as well as various consumption scenarios such as large enterprises or institutions, civil aviation, and household daily consumption. It has the production capacity for the entire product process; the company's biodegradable tableware can be biodegraded and can help achieve the "double carbon" goal, which is in line with the national strategic direction.
Article source: Beijing Daily, Life Times Picture source: Bluepha, DBC
