Royal Avebe and ChainCraft enter strategic collaboration to convert residual potato juice into high value products

ChainCraft, a pioneer in the production of circular chemicals and Royal Avebe, a global leader in potato-based starch and protein innovations, has announced a huge step towards a strategic collaboration by entering into a Heads of Agreement.

This partnership will focus on converting Avebe’s residual potato juice into high-value circular fatty acids and fertilizers through ChainCraft’s innovative fermentation technology. Ter Apelkanaal, Groningen, on and near the premises of Avebe is in the picture as a first-of-its-kind factory.

As part of Avebe’s commitment to sustainability and circular economy practices, the company continuously seeks innovative ways to minimize waste, lower its carbon footprint and add value to its production processes. The partnership with ChainCraft aligns perfectly with these goals by utilizing cutting-edge fermentation techniques to convert residual streams into valuable products, thus reducing environmental impact and supporting sustainable agriculture.

David Fousert, CEO at Avebe:

"We are excited to partner with ChainCraft and take this next step in our sustainability journey. Leveraging the fermentation technology of ChainCraft, potato juice, a byproduct of our production, will be transformed into circular products such as fatty acids and fertilisers. So for Avebe this collaboration ensures more circularity and also saves energy."

"It contributes to the further creation of efficient production processes. Which ultimately has a positive effect on our members’ earning capacity. For the northern part of the Netherlands, this collaboration means a more sustainable agricultural sector and region. And it also contributes to more employment opportunities in the north."

ChainCraft unique technology makes it possible to use organic waste streams, such as potato juice as a replacer for fossil feedstocks and palm oil as a raw material and make a positive contribution to lowering CO2 footprint and preservation of biodiversity by preventing deforestation. This enables manufacturers of speciality chemicals, animal feed, lubricants and flavour & fragrances to meet their climate goals.

Niels van Stralen, Founder & Chief Growth Officer at ChainCraft:

"At ChainCraft, our mission is to drive the transition towards a circular bioeconomy, and this collaboration with Avebe is a significant milestone. Our fermentation technology is perfectly suited for transforming residual streams into high-quality raw materials, and working with a forward-thinking partner like Avebe allows us to scale up this process to a first of kind factory and demonstrate the full potential of our innovative solution."

"This marks the first of several commercial milestones we are going to meet in the coming period, in which we will start the fundraising process for the financing of our first full scale factory and further specify the details of the long-term collaboration."

This partnership not only underscores both companies’ commitment to sustainability but also serves as a benchmark for how industry players can collaborate to solve environmental challenges through innovation.