Gifford Consulting

Global Intelligence:   12-16 October 2026

Weekly Summary

The global bioeconomy is experiencing rapid industrial scaling driven by advanced chemical synthesis, regional policy frameworks, and decarbonisation mandates across the transport and manufacturing sectors. It was particularly noticeable this week that an emphasis on countries developing their bioeconomies is becoming increasingly important.

In industrial biotechnology, companies are deploying novel catalytic and thermochemical platforms to replace fossil-based feedstocks. Verbio commissioned a large-scale ethenolysis plant utilizing rapeseed methyl ester and specialized catalysts from XiMo to synthesize high-quality renewable carbon compounds. Furanova is establishing an electrochemical pilot facility to convert sugar into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) for polyethylene furanoate (PEF) synthesis. Downstream polymer advancements include Sumitomo Chemical scaling mass production of biomass-derived liquid crystal polymers (LCP), while Danish startup Cellugy successfully achieved a tenfold scale-up of its microbial fermentation platform to yield exopolysaccharides. For specialized enzyme supply networks, Novonesis is executing a major capacity expansion to service emerging international markets.

Energy and maritime sectors are accelerating the adoption of alternative drop-in fuels. SmartestEnergy secured a long-term biomethane offtake agreement with marine renewable gas developer Zenco Group for an anaerobic digestion plant integrating seaweed-based feedstock. In the organic waste sector, BerQ RNG expanded its portfolio by acquiring the Rialto Bioenergy Facility from Sevana Bioenergy, capturing high-volume municipal food waste for renewable natural gas (RNG) production.

Maritime logistics see intensified decarbonisation as CMA CGM and DSV partner to utilize UCOME-based biofuels to slash shipping emissions. Commercial synthesis of e-fuels is also progressing: Turn2x is deploying modular honeycomb reactors to produce synthetic methane via electrolysis and methanation, INERATEC is supplying synthetic Fischer-Tropsch e-wax for food-related fat alternatives, and Perpetual Next partnered with Air Liquide Engineering and Technologies to deploy syngas-to-methanol technology for biomethanol production.

This widespread commercialization is supported by state funding initiatives across Europe, Russia, Singapore, New Zealand, and India to enhance platform resilience, standardize supply chains, and mandate bio-based market integration.

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Weekly Highlights - by Topic

Biobased chemicals: Germany. Verbio is starting large-scale production of bio-based chemicals with an investment of nearly EUR 100 million. Today the Company is officially commissioning the world’s first large-scale ethenolysis plant based on rapeseed methyl ester at its Bitterfeld site. The new plant is capable of producing up to 60,000 tonnes of bio-based chemicals annually – high-quality renewable carbon compounds that can replace fossil-based raw materials in lubricants, detergents and cleaning products, as well as plastics. The technological basis of the new production process is ethenolysis, a specific form of olefin metathesis. Special catalysts from Verbio’s Hungarian subsidiary, XiMo, play a key role in this process. They enable a targeted conversion of the carbon compounds in rapeseed methyl ester into new molecules for chemical applications. Link 14/10/2026.

Biobased plastics: Germany. Furanova is planning to build a pilot plant for the production of bio-based plastics feedstocks at Gendorf Chemical Park in Burgkirchen, Germany. According to site operator InfraServ Gendorf, the company will gradually relocate its current activities from Raubling to the chemical park. Start-up of the pilot facility is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. Furanova’s technology is the production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a key building block for bio-based polymers such as polyethylene furanoate (PEF). PEF is regarded as a potential alternative to petrochemically derived PET in a range of applications.  The process uses sugar as a feedstock and renewable electricity as its energy source. In an electrochemical process, a furan intermediate is first produced and subsequently oxidized to FDCA. Green hydrogen is generated as a co-product, enabling the production of two industrially relevant products within a single process. Link 13/10/2026.

Bioeconomy: Europe. As the EU weighs binding targets for bio-based content in plastics, MEP Jeannette Baljeu and Braskem’s Katarina Molin discuss how policymakers can create real market incentives for investment without compromising credible sustainability standards. Katarina Molin: Europe needs legally binding bio-based content targets, and it needs them in this mandate. In my view, one of the clearest ways to do this is through sector-specific targets for bio-based content, which would give companies the confidence to invest in innovation, production capacity and feedstock development. Jeannette Baljeu: Europe needs to create a real market for sustainable products. Clear and predictable EU rules can give companies the certainty they need to invest and scale. Binding targets can serve as a catalyst for investment if they are realistic and coupled with a level playing field. Link 16/10/2026.

Bioeconomy: India. India now races to sit among the world’s top three biotechnology powers with a bioeconomy that aims to grow from USD 195.3 billion in 2025 to USD 2.6 trillion by 2047. On that path, the real question lies in the gap between capacity and resilience. From generics to vaccines to biosimilars, India manufactures at a scale few countries match. We have built capacity, but dependence has not disappeared. Substituting imports at the product level alone would repeat the API story. Lasting self-reliance requires platforms India controls. DBT already applies this logic to microbes: its BioE3 Strain Resource Centre provides indigenous strains with freedom to operate, specifically to reduce reliance on imported strains. The same thinking must now reach the hosts that make complex proteins. The answer to platform concentration is not to pick one replacement. Biomanufacturing is a family of production systems, each with a different strength, and India should hold a portfolio of them. Link 16/10/2026

Bioeconomy: Russia. Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said the bioeconomy development strategy through 2036 has been approved. The document sets out the sector's priorities for the years ahead. The national project "Technological Support for the Bioeconomy" was approved in late 2025. It includes three basic federal projects: "Organising Production and Stimulating Sales of Bioeconomy Products," "Scientific and Technological Support for Bioeconomy Development," and "Analytical, Methodological and Personnel Support for the Bioeconomy. Link 14/10/2026.

Bioeconomy: Singapore. The Bioeconomy Funding Initiativ is a S$118 million initiative under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 Plan. It will support industry-aligned research by public sector research performers in bio-based solutions for specialty chemicals, as well as in drop- in biomolecules that integrate into Singapore’s existing Energy and Chemicals (E&C) industry. This is the largest funding initiative dedicated to developing the bioeconomy sector in Singapore to date, and together with other programmes, contributes to a cumulative commitment of approximately S$200m that will support various bioeconomy-related initiatives over the next five years. https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/announcement-of-bioeconomy-funding-initiative-fi/ 13/10/2026.

Biogas: United Kingdom. SmartestEnergy signed a long-term biomethane offtake and environmental products agreement with Zenco Group, a UK-based marine renewable gas developer, to support a new bioenergy development project. The facility is expected to produce up to 420GWh of renewable gas annually, with commercial operations currently scheduled to begin in 2028. The development will be delivered in two phases: the first will focus on producing biomethane for injection into the gas grid, while the second will introduce renewable fuel production, enabling the opportunities to optimise between biomethane and renewable fuels. Once fully developed, the project is expected to become one of the largest renewable gas and renewable fuels facilities in the UK. The facility will use established anaerobic digestion (AD) technology, with Zenco’s sustainability cultivated, seaweed-based feedstock integrated as cultivation scales. It is scheduled to become the first AD plant to run fully on this feedstock. Link 15/10/2026.

Biogas: USA. BerQ RNG completed the acquisition of a portfolio of assets from Sevana Bioenergy. The transaction includes the Rialto Bioenergy Facility, an organic waste anaerobic digestion to RNG facility located in Rialto, California, together with a pipeline of dairy and swine manure RNG development projects in Idaho, California and Kansas. The transaction diversifies BerQ RNG’s current portfolio (both in terms of feedstock and geography) and underscores BerQ’s experience as a multi-feedstock RNG platform. The Rialto Bioenergy Facility is designed to process up to 1,000 tons per day of food waste diverted from municipal solid waste streams, liquid organic waste and municipal biosolids, and has the capacity to produce up to 1 million MMBtu of RNG annually. The facility is connected directly to the Southern California Gas Company pipeline network through a dedicated pipeline injection facility. Link 12/10/2026

Biojet/SAF: Europe. The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation (RFEUA) stipulates in Article 13 that EASA is required to annually prepare and publish a RFEUA Annual Technical Report, starting in 2025. Report key findings include: Characteristics of SAF supplied: SAF supply primarily aviation biofuels (approximately 80%), overwhelmingly derived from UCO. 85% of feedstocks imported, mainly from China (61%), followed by Malaysia (8%) and Indonesia (5%). SAF supply distribution: In 2025, SAF was supplied at 121 Union airports across all 27 EU Member States. The Netherlands received the largest amount of SAF among the EU Member States (320 kt; or 29% of all SAF reported). Production outlook: By 2030, EU SAF production could reach 1.5 Mt (only currently available capacity), 3.7 Mt (including capacity under construction + post-FID), or 5.5 Mt + 0.6 Mt synthetic (including high-credibility project announcements). Meeting 2030 SAF target (6%) is well within reach. Synthetic fuels continue to lag behind (no large-scale facilities reached FID yet), yet project pipeline is growing and EU Member States scale up support. Prices: 2025 SAF avg. €1,925/t vs €640/t for conventional jet fuel. Link 12/10/2026.

Biomaterials: Japan. Sumitomo Chemical has achieved production-scale manufacturing of liquid crystal polymer (LCP) that contains a portion of monomer derived from biomass feedstock. The company is preparing a mass production system for bio-based LCP leveraging biomanufacturing technology. It also plans to begin providing customers with samples obtained from this production-scale manufacturing. The Japanese firm said that LCP is a type of super engineering plastic that offers excellent heat resistance and flame retardancy. Its outstanding fluidity, in particular, makes it well-suited to a wide range of applications, from electronic devices such as smartphones to automotive components and office automation equipment. Link 13/10/2026.

Biomaterials: New Zealand. Government support for New Zealand’s first ‘BioFactory’ will unlock private investment in shared infrastructure that transforms low-value primary sector commodities and waste into high-value ingredients for industries ranging from health and nutrition to advanced materials and pharmaceuticals. The BioFactory will turn low-value or waste forestry, agriculture and marine by-products into high-value ingredients, at a scale supporting commercial production. Minister of Forestry Todd McClay will see the government, via the Ministry for Primary Industries, ring-fence $15m towards a $30m capital raise, conditional on a further $15m being secured from private investors. Kaingaroa Tipu (formerly Timberlands) has already committed $2m. Separate to the capital raise, a further $20m investment is expected from a property developer. The facility is expected to be designed next year, built in 2028 and operational in 2029. Link 12/10/2026.

Biotechnolgy: Denmark. Danish biotech startup Cellugy has run its fermentation process at 15,000 liters. That is a tenfold scale-up. The company reports consistent product quality and performance at the larger volume.The run took place at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP) in Belgium. The site uses industrially relevant fermentation equipment. The goal was to test the robustness, reproducibility and scalability of Cellugy’s platform. The platform uses microbial fermentation to make tailored exopolysaccharides (EPS). These biopolymers provide rheology, stabilization, sensory and bioactive functions. Cellugy says they can replace petrochemical and microplastic-based materials without losing performance. The first product is EcoFLEXY Rheo. It is a biodegradable rheology modifier for personal care. The company says it delivers strong suspension, stability and sensory performance, even in demanding formulations. The platform runs on a common fermentation backbone. Link 16/10/2026.

Biotechnology: Denmark. Novonesis is expanding its facility in Patalganga and is to build one of the world’s most advanced enzyme production facilities. The €600 million investment will increase Novonesis’ production capacity to meet rising worldwide demand for the company’s biosolutions and strengthen the flexibility and resilience of its global supply network. This state-of-the-art facility will be integrated into the company’s global production footprint and bring Novonesis closer to customers across the Middle East, India, and Africa. These markets represent an important and growing part of the company’s business and are expected to grow faster than developed markets in the coming years. Link   15/10/2026.

e-fuels: Germany. Turn2x doesn’t just produce synthetic methane: The Munich startup relies on comparatively small, modular plants to produce a gas that is chemically identical to fossil natural gas and can therefore, according to the company, be transported via existing gas infrastructure and used in existing applications. The process combines two feedstocks: renewable hydrogen and biogenic CO2. First, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis using renewable electricity. The hydrogen then reacts with CO2 in a methanation reactor to form methane. Technologically, Turn2x relies on a so-called honeycomb reactor. Instead of a conventional fixed-bed reactor with bulk material, the startup uses a metal body featuring numerous narrow channels whose surfaces are coated with catalyst material. The design is intended to dissipate heat particularly quickly, thereby enabling flexible load changes. Link 16/10/2026.

Ethanol: India. SunBridge BioEnergy has begun commercial production at its 300,000-liter-per-day grain-based ethanol plant in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh. The facility has 11 million liters of storage capacity and produces fuel-grade ethanol from damaged food grains, including maize and broken rice unsuitable for human consumption. The plant also produces DDGS and distillers corn oil for animal-feed markets and incorporates water-recovery systems and zero-liquid-discharge operations. SunBridge plans to expand its ethanol capacity to 700,000 Liters per day when a planned 400,000-liter-per-day facility in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, becomes operational. Link 12/10/2026.

Feedstock: Indonesia. Indonesia plans to develop about 1 million hectares of new sugarcane plantations to supply its planned E20 gasoline program. The Energy Ministry estimates that E20 would require roughly 4 million kiloliters of ethanol annually, far above current domestic production. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the government would prioritize degraded land before considering forested areas, although he did not completely rule out forest conversion. The plan comes amid environmental concerns: more than 50,000 hectares of rainforest, savanna, peat swamp and wetlands have reportedly been cleared for sugarcane and rice since 2024, according to environmental group Mighty Earth. Link 12/10/2026.

Food technology: Germany. INERATEC has successfully shipped several tonnes of its MATERA® e-Wax to a U.S.-based innovator developing next-generation edible fats. The delivery marks the first time a full commercial batch of INERATEC’s synthetic Fischer-Tropsch wax has been supplied for food-related applications. Produced from captured CO₂, green hydrogen and renewable electricity, MATERA® e-Wax was originally developed as a versatile industrial raw material. Yet its journey does not have to end in fuels, packaging or specialty chemicals. Through further processing, synthetic hydrocarbons can be transformed into edible fats, demonstrating how innovative chemistry can unlock entirely new value chains. Link 15/10/2026.

Hydrogen: France. France Hydrogène is welcoming three measures in France’s draft 2027 budget: a double-sided auction mechanism to support synthetic aviation fuel (e-SAF), the entry into force of the IRICC fuel-carbon-intensity incentive, and $1.4 billion for the second tranche of its low-carbon hydrogen production support. France Hydrogène says the measures could trigger more than $5.9 billion in private hydrogen investment, as France works to turn its project pipeline into final investment decisions in 2027. France has Europe’s largest e-SAF project pipeline and the world’s second-largest after China, with 12 projects that could come online between 2030 and 2035, representing over 800,000 tons of annual capacity and more than $16.4 billion in potential investment. Link 13/10/2026.

Hydrogen: Spain. Moeve celebrated the start of construction of the first phase of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen project, with an event in Palos de la Frontera, Huelva. The project, led by Moeve with a majority 51% stake, benefits from a strong shareholder structure that combines industrial and financial expertise through the participation of Hy24, the world’s largest clean hydrogen private equity asset manager, and COFIDES, Spain’s public-private finance institution, as strategic partners with a combined 29% stake. The Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen energy project, is designed to deliver 2 GW of electrolysis capacity across Moeve’s Energy Parks in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) and San Roque (Cádiz). The project positions Andalusia as a strategic region for leading the production of green molecules, thanks to its availability of land, world-class port infrastructure and climatic conditions that enable renewable electricity generation at significantly lower costs than in northern Europe. Link 12/10/2026.

Hydrogen: Sweden. Metacon AB’s Greek subsidiary, Metacon SA, has secured EUR 188,018 (USD 210,138) in European Union funding for its role in a 36-month project to produce high-purity hydrogen from biogas. The project involves developing an integrated system that lets biogas producers add hydrogen production to existing operations while capturing carbon dioxide on site. Researchers are targeting fuel cell-grade hydrogen with a purity above 99.97%. Metacon said thousands of sites across Europe already produce biogas from organic waste. Upgrading that gas to hydrogen could give operators an additional product and extend the use of local renewable energy beyond electricity and biomethane. Link 13/10/2026.

Hydrogen: The Netherlands. Dutch refuelling firm Fountain Fuel has cut its hydrogen pump prices to €10.95/kg ($12.70), with logistics companies offered rates of €8/kg ($8.95) excluding VAT, or lower for high-volume purchases. Effective from Wednesday (October 14), the reductions are aimed at improving the commercial case for hydrogen-powered transport as fleet operators weigh the technology against battery-electric and conventional diesel vehicles. Link 16/10/2026.

Hydrogen: United Kingdom. UK-based sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) developer Carbon Neutral Fuels (CNF) plans to add bio-SAF to its green hydrogen-based fuel facility, in a move it claims will lift output by 70%. The  FlexSAF plant design enables SAF production from biogenic CO2, water, and electricity, and advanced bioSAF from biomethane. The design also recycles by-products back into the syngas stream to “maximise high-value jet fuel output. Both planned pathways will be processed by synthesis technologies from Johnson Matthey and Honeywell, while green hydrogen will be supplied by 120MW of Topsoe solid oxide electrolyser (SOEC) systems. Link  15/10/2026.

Marine fuels: China Ningbo-Zhoushan Port completed the country’s first simultaneous supply of three alternative marine fuels at three locations within the same port complex Sept. 30, delivering LNG, green methanol and B24 biofuel to international ships during dockside operations. Three bunkering vessels supplied approximately 7,400 cubic meters of LNG at Chuanshan, 7,500 metric tons of green methanol at Meishan and 3,000 metric tons of B24 biofuel oil at Daxie, three separate operating districts of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. The methanol delivery set a new Zhejiang province record for a single bunkering operation. Link 16/10/2026.

Marine fuels: Denmark. A new technical report by the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center examines ethanol’s potential as a low-carbon fuel for global maritime shipping. The report concludes that ethanol is a promising drop-in option for methanol-fuelled vessels. Ethanol is emerging as a technically viable complementary fuel within the methanol pathway, supported by growing evidence that methanol dual-fuel engines can operate on ethanol with only limited adjustments,” the report states. “Ethanol’s combustion behaviour, emissions profile, and material compatibility closely mirror those of methanol, while ethanol’s higher energy density reduces onboard storage needs. Link 14/10/2026.

Marine fuels: France. CMA CGM and DSV have signed an agreement under which DSV will use CMA CGM’s ACT+ low-carbon shipping solution to support a targeted reduction of 12,000 tons of CO2 emissions over two years. These emissions reductions will be achieved through the use of low-carbon fuels, namely second-generation UCOME-based biofuels. CMA CGM has developed ACT+, its range of low-carbon transport solutions designed to help customers reduce their CO₂ emissions. Through this agreement, DSV will benefit from ACT +, which can help reduce CO₂ emissions by 83% compared to conventional shipping fuel, through the use of low-carbon fuels. Link 14/10/2026.

Methanol: Perpetual Next signed a License and Engineering Agreement with Air Liquide Engineering and Technologies for the supply of syngas-to-methanol technology for Perpetual Next’s first biomethanol facility, with an option to extend across other biomethanol sites. Under the Agreement, Air Liquide Engineering and Technologies will provide their RectisolTM and LurgiTM Methanol technology. The technology is designed to process syngas from a broad range of sources, including syngas from biomass. Perpetual Next’s Blueprint integrates torrefaction, gasification, syngas cleaning and upgrade, with methanol synthesis to convert low-grade organic waste, including waste wood, into biomethanol. The standardized approach is intended to reduce development complexity, support repeatable project execution and create economies of scale across a portfolio of facilities. Link 15/10/2026.

Policy: Europe. Sustainable Innovations (SIE) will be the leading partner for the financial management, communication and exploitation tasks within BIOEASTWIDE, a new Horizon Europe project officially funded by the European Commission, building on the existing BIOEAST initiative aimed at advancing bioeconomy research and innovation (R&I) across Central and Eastern Europe. With a total budget of 4 million euros, BIOEASTWIDE will support the development of a coordinated bioeconomy framework across the BIOEAST macro-region, including EU Member States and widening countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans. Through mapping activities, strategic roadmap development and capacity-building programmes, the project will address key gaps in policy alignment, funding coordination and innovation uptake. Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries participation in EU research programmes addressing bioeconomy continues to be low mostly due to lacking targeted research funding management and coordination at national levels, fragmented national and cross-border stakeholder collaboration, and poor R&I infrastructure that prevents the deployment at full scale of research results into practice. Link 12/10/2026.

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