A stroke of luck for medium-sized companies
REPORT INVEST: A new Fraunhofer centre in the region is certainly something to celebrate. But why have they decided on Leuna?
Unkelbach: The conditions here are ideal. The region is home to many small and medium-sized businesses. The Leuna chemicals park is home to 75 such companies alone, the overwhelming majority of which are of interest to us, because we see ourselves as being an open development platform.
What does that mean?
Unkelbach: We want to enable small and medium-sized businesses to carry out innovative research. To this end we are working on closing a previous gap, namely the one between laboratory research and the carrying over of new knowledge and findings into industrial production. This is something that medium-sized firms find to be expensive and therefore unaffordable. If they work with us, it is cheaper, however, and they don't need their own research department. We are already working with small and medium-sized businesses on a range of products which revolve around optimising systems or production processes and making them ready for the market. The use of renewable raw materials is always one of our top priorities in this area.
What do you view your own role to be?
Unkelbach: We make our knowledge and our research facilities available to the companies. We are in the position, for instance, of being able to create the kind of base chemicals from renewable raw materials that many companies need as a base material for their industrial production. In this sense we can make base chemicals such as ethylene, propylene and butane from materials like wood and straw. Previously, these materials were ordered from sources who did not use any renewable raw materials in their production processes and manufactured with crude oil only.
And how is it possible to omit the use of crude oil?
Unkelbach: We have a pilot system that enables us to break down wood and straw into their constituent parts, producing cellulose, hemi-cellulose and cell adhesive lignin. With the help of biotechnological processes, the first two can be transformed into sugar, which can then be processed into alcohols. In a second step, it is then possible to produce olefin, ethylene, propylene or butane. At the Leuna chemicals park as well as further afield there is a wide range of companies which need these materials urgently as a base material for their production. They have to change their way of thinking. Since using olefins which are manufactured on the basis of crude oil over the long term is expensive and poor value, especially in terms of sustainability.
Talking of sustainability: Is there much appreciation of it in companies these days?
Unkelbach: There certainly is. But few companies are willing to pay a higher price for it. Yet there is no getting away from the discussions and the fact that our reserves of crude oil are set to run out within roughly 50 years. This means there is no alternative but to look for alternatives!
The new Fraunhofer CBP building will soon be ready. What's the current situation?
Unkelbach: The establishment of our centre involved a 50 million Euro investment, the overwhelming majority of which came from the federal and state governments. Our new building is situated at the edge of the Leuna chemicals park. With a total length of 150 meters, it also stands out visually. In total, 15,000 square meters of space will be available to us there. The centrepiece is set to be the technical centre. Where we will be able to simulate biotechnological and chemical processes under actual conditions. We will also use so-called mini plant systems: These are small factories, if you like, which are big enough, however, to test out production processes on a larger scale than would be possible in a laboratory.
You arrived at the beginning of the year from Karlsruhe to help drive the development of the new facilities forwards. What has been achieved in this time?
Unkelbach: A lot. First of all I had to try and find some high quality personnel. There are now eight of us here. By the summer, the number of employees will have increased to 25. Another positive factor: the overwhelming majority come from the local region. Later, a further 25 employees are set to arrive. We are still looking for biotechnologists, chemists, process technicians as well as lab and chemicals technicians. And we are confident of moving into our new buildings in June.
Author/photographer: Ines Godazgar
Contact:
Fraunhofer-Zentrum für Chemisch-Biotechnologische Prozesse CBP
Gerd Unkelbach
Am Haupttor, Bau 4310
06237 Leuna