News

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 17, 2025: Ed de Jong from Avantium invited as PEFerence speaker at Opening of the CBE JU Cluster Projects’ Workshop on Bio-based Materials in Brussels, Belgium!

 

The Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) is organising a Cluster Projects’ Workshop on Bio-based Materials: “Advancing innovation and industrial up-scale in bio-based materials for agriculture and packaging solutions”.

This event aims to showcase cutting-edge research and innovation in the bio-based materials sector, giving special attention to circularity and end-of-life alternatives.

By bringing together the coordinators from CBE JU-funded projects and other relevant Horizon Europe projects, this workshop will foster knowledge exchange and collaboration as well as the identification of challenges and opportunities to accelerate the transition to bio-based solutions in these target sectors. Additionally, the workshop will provide valuable networking opportunities to create synergies among projects funded by CBE JU or other part of the Horizon Europe programme.

Find more information on the event here

 

 

PAST EVENTS

10 March 2025: Ed de Jong from Avantium participated in a REBIOLUTION project webinar

Find the slides including the presentation of the FDCA-flagship plant here 

30/31 October 2024: PEF World Congress by Renewable Carbon Plastics and PEFerence

PEFerence acted as co-organiser of the successful first edition of the PEF World Congress in Düsseldorf, Germany. In more than 20 talks, experts presented their findings, technologies and innovations on FDCA, MEG and PEF to an interested audience. The conference was accompanied by a table-top exhibition.

 

 

 

28 to 29 October 2024: Consortium Meeting at Henkel

The PEFerence consortium met at Henkel (Düsseldorf, Germany) to discuss the latest project results and make everybody fit for the finalisation of the project in February 2025. One of the highlights of the meeting was the guided tour through the Henkel Recycling Lab.

22 October 2024: Official opening of the FDCA Flagship Plant in Delfzijl

Several PEFerence consortium members participated in the official opening ceremony with talks by Tom van Aken (CEO Avantium), John Bell (EC) and Sophie Hermans (Dutch Minister of Climate and Green Growth). Ángel Puente (nova-Institute) had the honour to talk to Her Majesty Queen Maxima in the exhibition on FDCA and PEF after the official opening ceremony.

Squared collage with green markings showing four pictures of representatives standing in front of a screen at the flagship plant opening ceremony: upper left: Tom van Aken, upper right: John Bell, lower left: Sophie Hermans, Lower right: moderator Shirma Rouse. Collage in square format with green margins showing four pictures: upper left: picture of the banner about the PEF World Congress, upper right: Queen Máxima and Tom van Aken after the official opening, below: green pipes of the flagship plant, picture at the bottom: crowd standing in front of the flagship plant.

 

11-13 June 2024: PEFerence booth at the Renewable Materials Conference 2024 in Siegburg/Cologne (Germany)

The representatives from Avantium and nova-Institute presented demonstrators and the upcoming PEF World congress.

The PEFerence booth at the Renewable Materials Conference 2024. In front is a table with information material and on the left side behind the table is a roll-up banner of the project. On the right side behind the table is Kristijan Mrsic from nova-institute, one of the representatives of PEFerence. Detail of the PEFerence booth only showing a clipping from the table with the stand-up display informing on the PEF World Congress.In the background is a part of the PEFerence roll-up banner.

6 May 2024: Market update on bio-based building blocks and polymers: Global capacities, production and trends 2023-2028

Webinar: Pia Skoczinski (nova-Institute) will present her insights on May 6th 2024 at 10.00 to 11.00 CET.

Please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B5wKVZNPRPa-cF-FKVgGYw#/registration

26 February 2024: PEF (polyethylene furanoate): A bio-based polyester for textile industry

Webinar: Pavan Kumar Manvi (Avantium) will present his insights on February 26th 2024 at 11.00 to 12.00 CET.

Please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__s0h3cOwSPOwDVVG8HPM_w

05 February 2024: PEF in bottle applications: material properties, processing, and performance

Webinar: Ele de Boer (Avantium) and Josh Turner (BMT) will present their insights on February 5th 2024 at 14.00 to 15.00 CET.

Please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wrtYTVliSzy2REoEe16IuA

6 December 2023: Recyclable PEF bottles and yarns at CBE JU Stakeholder Forum

Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) displayed PEFerence demonstrators at the CBE JU Stakeholder Forum 2023. PEF yarns and recyclable PEF bottles were showcased in Brussels on 6 December. Virginia Puzzolo (CBE JU) and Ed de Jong (Avantium) opened the exhibition to an interested audience.
The PEFerence team also enjoyed the future-orientated discussions during the parallel sessions and the networking with people fully invested in bio-based industry and products.

Virginia Puzzolo opens the Carlsberg Group's paper bottles in a glass display to an interested audience. Green and violet lights.Ed de Jong opens the PEFerence demonstrator display to an interested audience. Green and violet lights. Two long-haired persons visible in the front.

Carlsberg paper bottle and PEF bottles displayed in glass showcase, PEFerence logo and text about demonstrators at a green and violet curved wall in the background, violet and green lights PEF yarn in coloured stocking form display ed before a violet and green wall, informative text on the wall, PEFerence logo on the topviolet lights, a medium big room with audience sitting on chairs, a stage with a panel sitting on chairs and a CBESHF23 logo projected to the background

23–25 May 2023: PEFerence demonstrators at the Renewable Materials Conference

PEF bottles (clear and green), Carlsberg paper bottle, PEFerence flyers, see-through grey-black cosmetics crucible on a white table, PEFerence roll-up in the background

PEFerence demonstrators at the Renewable Materials Conference 2023

Highly detailed injection molding samples from a yellowish polymer

PEF injection molding samples at the Renewable Materials Conference 2023

Busy PEFerence booth at the Renewable Materials Conference 2023, Ángel Puente, Freya Sautner, Ingrid Goumans and Sheila Khodadadi behind the booth explaining stuff to visitors

Busy PEFerence booth at the Renewable Materials Conference 2023

This years Renewable Materials Conference attendees showed big interest in the demonstrators at the PEFerence booth.

 

 

 

 

 

The PEFerence consortium aims to replace a significant share of fossil-based polyesters, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and packaging materials like glass and metal with 100 % bio-based PEF (polyethylene furanoate): a plant-based, fully recyclable polymer with superior performance and significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional polymers. PEF can be used in a wide range of applications such as bottles, packaging, films, fibres and textiles. Some of these applications were shown in Siegburg in May 2023.

 

25 October 2017: Five-year EU flagship project to establish an innovative supply chain for FDCA and PEF

On September 20th 2017, the official kick-off was held for the PEFerence project in Geleen, the Netherlands. The consortium consists of 11 companies from 8 countries including Synvina, Avantium, BASF, Tereos (France), Alpla Werke Alwin Lehner (Austria), OMV Machinery (Italy), Croda Nederland (The Netherlands), Nestec (Switzerland), Lego System (Denmark), nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation (Germany), and Spinverse Innovation Management (Finland). Read more here.

INTERVIEWS

Dr. Adrian Brandt (Henkel)

26 June 2023: Interview on Henkel’s use of Avantium’s FDCA, a bio-based aromatic building block. Read it here

Samira Choupin (LVMH)

25 January 2024: Interview on LVHM’s appplication of Avantium’s bio-based Polyethylene Furanoate (PEF). Read it here

Alex and Michael Thielen (Renewable Carbon Plastics Magazine)

20 September 2024: Interview on PEF, the importance of the FDCA flagship plant and the PEF World Congress. Read it here

Ángel Puente (nova-Institute)

9 December 2024: Interview with PET planet Insider: PEF: A bio-based alternative to PET with lower environmental impact. Read it here

PRESS RELEASES, ARTICLES AND MORE

24 April 2025: Avantium Advances PEF-Based Spacer Fabric For Auping Mattresses With Consortium Of Textile Innovators

Press release by Avantium

19 March 2025: Avantium's 2024 Full Year Results: Avantium Advances Towards Commercial Production and Sale of PEF

Press release by Avantium

11 February 2025: Avantium and Amcor Rigid Packaging Partner to Advance More Sustainable Packaging with Plant-Based Polymer Releaf®

Press release by Avantium

05 February 2025: Avantium and EPC Engineering & Technologies Collaborate to Commercialize Continuous PEF Production Technology

Press release by Avantium

January 2025: Advancing PEF – Article by OMV and Avantium

Read the full article

December 2024: Ziel erreicht – königliche Einweihung einer wegweisenden Industrieanlage

Read the full article

28 November 2024: "PEF, the new kid on the block"; article on PEF and the PEF World Congress by Renewable Carbon Plastics Magazine

Read the full article

06 November 2024: Parfums Christian Dior Embraces Avantium’s Releaf for its eco-designed packaging

Press release by Avantium

22 October 2024: Avantium Celebrates the Official Opening of its FDCA Flagship Plant

Press release by Avantium

17 October 2024: Avantium and Royal Vezet collaborate on PEF-based packaging trays for Albert Heijn’s salad bowls

Press release by Avantium

10 October 2024: Avantium and Plastipak sign offtake agreement for the use of PEF for beverage and food packaging

Press release by Avantium

9 October 2024: FDA Approves Avantium’s PEF for Food Contact Applications in the United States

Press release by Avantium

3 October 2024: Her Majesty Queen Máxima to open the world’s first FDCA Flagship Plant

Press release by Avantium

17 July 2024: Avantium partners with leading textile innovators to create PEF fabrics for Auping mattresses

Press release by Avantium

19 June 2024: Official opening ceremony for Avantium’s FDCA Flagship Plant set on 22 October 2024 

Press release by Avantium

21 March 2024: Avantium presents the annual figures from the flagship plant in Delfzijl in a video

You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsFbUq_7HYo

16 January 2024: Helios Resins signs multi-year capacity reservation agreement to purchase FDCA developed by Avantium

Press release by Avantium

January 2024: Cytotoxicity studies and antibacterial modification of poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) nonwoven

Scientific article in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces by Mariia Svyntkivska, Tomasz Makowski et al. (Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies Polish Academy of Sciences)

13 December 2023: Avantium focuses on maximising the potential of its FDCA and PEF technology

Press release by Avantium

29 November 2023: PANGAIA and Avantium partner to bring sustainable apparel collection based on Avantium’s 100% plant-based PEF to the market

PANGAIA Winter Shot

Press release by Avantium

21 November 2023: Albert Heijn to use Avantium’s 100% plant-based PEF for packaging of own-brand products

Marit van Egmond - CEO Albert Heijn at Ahold Delhaize and Tom van Aken, Avantium in front of fruit juice bottles in a supermarket

Press release by Avantium

June 2023: The Use of Food and Feed Crops for Bio-based Materials and the Related Effects on Food Security

 

Global Harvested Agricultural and Grazed Biomass Demand by Sectors

Free download on Renewable Carbon Publications

22 March 2023: Avantium and Kvadrat sign offtake agreement for the development of PEF for interior textiles

Press release by Avantium

1 April 2023: The global warming potential and the material utility of PET and bio-based PEF bottles over multiple recycling trips

Scientific article in the Journal of Cleaner Production by P. Stegmann (Utrecht University), T. Gerritse (Sweco AB) et al.
Ángel Puente (nova-Institute) from the PEFerence consortium contributed with the LCA of Avantium’s PEF bottles.

The net greenhouse gas (GH) emissions and the material utility of PET and bio-based PEF bottles over multiple recycling trips for PET (subst. PET), PEF (subst. PET) and PEF (subst. PEF)

21 February 2023: Avantium and Origin Materials to Accelerate the Mass Production of FDCA and PEF for Advanced Chemicals and Plastics

Press release by Avantium

24 January 2023: Avantium and Henkel sign offtake agreement on FDCA for adhesives to be used in electronics applications

Press release by Avantium

21 December 2022: Avantium and Monosuisse sign offtake agreement on PEF for industrial fibres

Press release by Avantium

7 December 2022: Plastic futures and their CO2 emissions

Scientific article in nature by P. Stegmann, V Daioglou et al. (Utrecht University)
Avantium and nova-Institute collaborated with the working group.

Plastic trash with a circular forest at the right hand sideNovember 2022: Growing in circles: A circular bioeconomy for plastics

PhD thesis P. Stegmann, Utrecht University

Ángel Puente (nova-Institute / PEFerence LCA work package lead) co-authored chapter 5: "Message in a bottle - The global warming potential and the material utility of PET and bio-based PEF bottles over multiple recycling trips"

 

PEF bottles compared with corresponding PET bottles

31 August 2022: New bio-based polymer PEF shows low CO2 footprint

Article and press release by nova-Institute

 

 

 

 

 

17 August 2022: LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics Houses signs offtake agreement with Avantium for the use of PEF for its cosmetics packaging

Press release by Avantium

Carlsberg glass with beer and a Carlsberg paper bottle on a wooden table, nature in the background

22 June 2022: Avantium and Carlsberg sign offtake agreement on PEF

Press release by Avantium

 

 

 

21 June 2022: Avantium forms PEF Textile Community with five leading companies to develop PEF yarn applications

Press release by Avantium

Red button at PEFerence FDCA flagship plant in Delfzijl: First pile eventPEFerence Consortium at FDCA flagship plant in Delfzijl: First pile event

20 April 2022: Avantium celebrates the First Piling Ceremony for its FDCA Flagship Plant

Press release by Avantium

14 March 2022: Fire Propagation Behavior of Some Biobased Furanic Compounds with a Focus on the Polymer PEF

Scientific article in ACS Publications by Anitha Muralidhara, Ed de Jong et al.

3 March 2022: The Road to Bring FDCA and PEF to the Market

Scientific publication, Ed de Jong et al., Polymers

21 February 2022: Life Cycle Assessment study demonstrates the potential of Avantium’s FDCA and PEF technology to curb global warming

Press release by Avantium

9 December 2021: Avantium takes a positive Final Investment Decision on the construction of its FDCA Flagship Plant

Press release by Avantium

22 April 2021: Cosun Beet Company and Avantium join forces with the ambition to produce plant-based glycols from sugars

Press release by Avantium

24 March 2021: Carlsberg Group joins the PEFerence consortium and deepens collaboration with Avantium

Press release by Carlsberg

24 March 2021: Avantium secures new offtake contracts for planned FDCA flagship plant

Press release by Avantium

9 February 2021: Avantium acquires the right to use Eastman’s FDCA-related patent portfolio

Press release by Avantium

3 February 2021: Avantium publishes its Sustainability Plan ‘Chain Reaction 2030’ – a pioneering roadmap for a fossil-free chemical industry

Press release by Avantium

27 January 2021: Avantium provides update on the FDCA flagship plant final investment decision process

Press release by Avantium

16 December 2020: Avantium awarded € 5.4 million grant from Netherlands Enterprise Agency for expansion of FDCA pilot plant

Press release by Avantium

23 September 2020: Avantium grants Kebony rights to use its patented technologies on humins for wood modification

Press release by Avantium

22 July 2020: This startup’s plant-based plastics promise circularity. Can it deliver?

Check out the article by GreenBiz.

21 May 2020: A New Plant-Based Plastic Will Degrade in a Year

The Weather Channel featuring the project. Click here to read.

18 May 2020: Coca Cola and Carlsberg to introduce new plant-based bottles

Article published in Evening standard, click here to read.

17 May 2020: New Plant-Based Bottles Backed By Coca-Cola And Carlsberg Will Degrade In Just A Year

Check out the article published in UNILAD. Click here.

17 May 2020: The end of plastic bottles? Coca-Cola and Carlsberg back new all-plant drinks containers that will rot away to nothing within a year

Read the daily mail article here.

16 May 2020: The end of plastic? New plant-based bottles will degrade in a year

Carlsberg and Coca-Cola back pioneering project to make ‘all-plant’ drinks bottles. Read the article in the Guardian. Click here.

15 January 2020: Avantium to build FDCA flagship plant at Chemie Park Delfzijl, Netherlands

Article in Bio-based news. Read here.

8 January 2020: Avantium to build FDCA flagship plant at Chemie Park Delfzijl, Netherlands

Avantium press release. Click here to read.

25 October 2017: Five-year EU flagship project to establish an innovative supply chain for FDCA and PEF

On September 20th 2017, the official kick-off was held for the PEFerence project in Geleen, the Netherlands. The consortium consists of 11 companies from 8 countries including Synvina, Avantium, BASF, Tereos (France), Alpla Werke Alwin Lehner (Austria), OMV Machinery (Italy), Croda Nederland (The Netherlands), Nestec (Switzerland), Lego System (Denmark), nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation (Germany), and Spinverse Innovation Management (Finland). Read more here.

 

 

 

 

08 June 2017: EUR 25 million subsidy granted: Industry Consortium receives funds for polyethylenfuranoate (PEF)

The European Joint Undertaking on Bio-Based Industries (BBI), consisting of representatives from the European Union and the bio-based industry, granted 25 million Euro to “PEFerence”, a consortium of eleven companies. The grant supports the establishment of an innovative value chain for bio-based raw materials as well as chemicals and materials based on polyethylenefuranoate PEF. It includes the intended construction of a 50,000 tons FDCA reference plant, the main chemical building block for the production of PEF. Synvina will be coordinating the “PEFerence” project. Read more here.