Presentation on renewable energy, plastics, and solvents from bio-based sources. Learn more about Sustainable Business & Design at: http://sustainablelifemedia.com

1. Innovation &
Commercial Success
in BioRenewables
Daniel N. Robin
Integrated Investments Int'l

2. What We Do
BioRenewables commercialization, investing &
alliances
In business – exclusively about sustainability and “cleantech” – since 1985
Involved with bioplastics technology transfer between EU & USA since
1996.
Services:
• Market Analysis & Industry Consulting
• Business Development, sustainability plans and reports
• Investment Strategy, Partnerships
• Workshops, Coaching, Group Facilitation
See www.in3inc.com/about.html

3. Agenda
• Define “Food-friendly BioRenewables”
• Renewable Energy & BioFuels
• Bioplastics (bioresins, composites, etc.)
• Biobased Cleaners, Solvents and other
Advanced Materials
• Q&A

4. What’s the problem?

5. Goal: Energy, Transportation &
a Livable Environment
A. Importance of Food-friendly and EcoEffective Fuel Solutions
Corn Cars & Bean Buses?
B. Renewable Energy in response to 3BL Sustainability Problems

6. Biofuel Types
• Biohols (alcohols made from renewable raw materials)
– Burns cleaner, 12% less air pollution for ethanol (vs. gasoline)
– Carbon footprint (eco-effectiveness) depends on raw material / LCA
– Most biohols not energy efficient as fuel (ethanol only 75% as dense)
What’s wrong with this picture?
• Biodiesel
– More energy efficient (returns up to 93%), but from soy oil?
– Much lower emissions (41% less)
– NOX can be handled through additives

7. Lost in the Maize
Crude Petroleum Price per Barrel Corn Prices per Ton
Food-Friendly?

8. Why corn ethanol (predictably) went wrong
Corn Prices per Ton
Food-Friendly?

9. Prices affected other commodities

10. Will corn cars and bean buses
solve this?
Will corn cars
and bean buses
solve this?

11. Renewable Material Crop Yields
corn 18
cotton 35 Gallons per Acre
hemp 39
soybean 48 Algae: ~10,000 gallons/acre!
mustard seed 61 Oil extraction a concern
camelina 62
sesame 74
safflower 83
peanuts 113
rapeseed 127
olives 129 Biodiesel Yield
jatropha 202
oil palm 635
Oil palm
Crop gal / acre lbs / acre Coconut oil
Crop Type
oil palm 635 4465 Jajoba
jatropha 202 1420 Rapeseed oil
olives 129 910 Peanut oil
rapeseed 127 893 Sesame
peanuts 113 795 Soybeans
safflower 83 585
sesame 74 522 0 100 200 300 400 500
camelina 62 438 Gallons per acre
mustard seed 61 430
soybean 48 335
hemp 39 272
cotton 35 244
corn 18 129

12. Algae Oil Extraction: Who will be
first?
Credit: Paul Roessler DOE/NREL
Algae Farming
in Arizona
Desert
Algae Farming in New Zealand

13. EcoEffective Energy Worksheet
Three Principles:
1. Energy Balance Ratio: energy needed to produce vs. energy content delivered
Examples: Biodiesel is generally a EBR of 2-6, depending on the source material
Corn ethanol is EBR 0.75, from sugar cane ~5.6, from sugar beets, 6+
What’s the EBR for butanol, octanol, or other biohols from various materials?
2. Cost of Externalities
What are all the inputs to make that material – fertilizer, land, water, energy?
Which of those inputs enjoy government subsidies, or violate sustainability conditions not yet included in
the economics?
Which of these costs can be internalized, but still remain competitive (deliver other sustainable value or
business advantage)?
3. Integration with Existing Infrastructure
Using existing infrastructure (e.g., delivery mechanism such as a power grid or gasoline service stations)?
If not, how will the energy be delivered and maintained (e.g., Photovoltaics can “leapfrog” the need for a
power grid)?

14. Definition of Bioplastics
“Bioplastics” are polymers that can be processed by
established technologies and are either …
1. Biobased – derived from renewable raw materials
(recently fixed carbon vs. fossil carbon)
or …
2. Biodegradable per accepted industry standards –
e.g., EN 13432 or ASTM D6400 – usually this means composted

15. Bioplastics are not a new idea
Classic film clip of Henry Ford, 1941
whacking an early soy composite bumper
Why didn’t they take off then?
What’s driving their adoption now?
Who is leading?

16. Why Bioplastics?
Biobased content …
• Conserves / offsets petroleum
• Breaks dependence on single feedstock
• Turns waste into microbacterial “food”

17. Why Biodegradable Plastics?
Biodegradable materials …
• Can be “recycled” through nature, on cue
• Less waste; helps manage carbon
• Generally more energy efficient
• Less persistent, less toxic, more sustainable
• A source of innovation, differentiation
• Appeals to “green” consumer ethic

18. Current Stage of Biopolymer Development
Industry Status as of Spring 2008
Confidential Content – contact
Daniel Robin at In3 for details
Research Development Pilot Commercially Large scale Industrial
Plant available plant scale

19. Industry Scan
Who are the main players?
A. Commercially Proven Solutions
1) NatureWorks PLA & Ingeo
2) Novamont MaterBi
3) Cereplast
B. Innovative but unproven–DHAs, polyols, etc.
C. Emerging, advanced materials such as monolayers,
colloidal “green” chemistry and other trends

20. Industry Scan
A. Commercially Viable Biopolymers
1. NatureWorks LLC –
2. Novamont SpA– MaterBi
3. Cereplast – starch-based family of resins

21. NatureWorks LLC
NatureWorks LLC and their Polylactic Acid (PLA) pellets are current market leaders
Began as a $750 million JV partnership between Cargill and Dow in early 2000
Dow took their exit in 2005. In early Oct 07, Japanese Teijin took a 50% JV interest.
 NW PLA gets made into a fiber called Ingeo™ by Toray Industries, one
of the leading synthetic fiber manufacturers in the world
 NW did not invest in compounding technology, leaving a hole (and a
significant opportunity) in the market
 Wal*mart’s Sams Clubs using NW PLA absorbing excess capacity,
validated the market, caused a scramble for the next 200M lbs/year.

22. Novamont MaterBi
European Inventor of the Year 2007

23. Public Relations Meeting
July 14, 2006

24. Industry Scan
B. Innovative and as yet unproven
1. Metabolix PHAs from GM switch grass (BP)
2. Telles Mirel™ (JV with Metabolix and ADM)
3. Showa Hipolymer (Japan) Bionolle:
polysuccinate (succinic acid) from natural sources
4. Polyols from renewable sources
{ Many others at various stages of development }

25. Industry Scan
C. Emerging & Complementary Advanced Materials
A. PLA cross linking, stereo isomers – stronger
biopolymers than NatureWorks PLA
B. Nanotech: Self-assembling monolayers (SAMs) serve
as a barrier or composite matrix
C. Colloidal, “green” chemistry – nano-sized particles
suspended in ways that deliver unique properties
Attend conferences and/or read cleantech blogs
Such as Sustainable Brands ‘08 or cleantechvc.blogspot.com

26. References, Publications & Resources
Thanks to Greg Bohlmann, SRI Consulting for supplier, market & process economics data.
Reports available via www.sriconsulting.com or contact GBohlmann@sriconsulting.com.
News & Events
European Plastics News: 9th Annual Bioplastics Conference & 2nd Annual Awards, Hyatt Regency, Cologne, Germany, 5-6
December 07– www.bpevent.com
Omnexus – Daily Industry Newsletter powered by SpecialChem, the latest news and information for the global plastics industry:
To sign up: http://www.omnexus.com/news/newsletter/
DuPont explores bioplastics with Australia’s Plantic Technologies Limited of Melbourne, Oct 1, 2007
Publications:
Bioplastics Magazine (in English, from Germany), free download of issues available online at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Clean Technology Investment and Development Blogs:
– cleantechvc.blogspot.com & http://cleantech.com/index.cfm?pageSRC=CleantechBlog
– The Cleantech Revolution Blog
– The Greener Side: greenerside.typepad.com
Calendar of Biorenewables & Cleantech events:
www.in3inc.com/calendar.html

27. Bibliography & Industry Associations
Articles & Research Papers BioPlastics Associations
Biopolymers: a brief biography found in Canadian BEPS BioEnvironmental Polymer Society – www.beps.org
Plastics, April 2007, by Umair Abdul
BPI Biodegradable Products Institute – www.bpiworld.org
Extruding Biopolymers: Packaging Reaps Cost Benefit European Bioplastics formerly IBAW, Berlin – www.european-
of Going ‘Green’, Feb 07 by Jan Schut, Plastics bioplastics.org … has resource directory online
Technology (ptonline.com); In3 contributed content.
Other Regions
Biopolymers Strive to Meet Price/Performance ABA Australasian Bioplastica Association --
Challenge, March 07, by Joseph Grande, www.bioplastics.org.au
(ptonline.com), sidebar on durables. BCPN Belangenvereniging Composteerbaare Producten
Nederland -- www.bcpn.nl
Importance of effective end-of-life solution:
www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2002/winan02c.pdf Belgian BioPackaging National Association –
www.belgianbiopackaging.be
Skate to Where the Money Will Be, The Disruptive bioplastics24.com Information and market platform –
Threat: When Business as Usual Just Won't Do, and www.bioplastics24.com
Disruptive Technologies: Catch the Wave, Harvard BMG Biodegradable Materials Group (China) –
Business Review articles by Clay Christenson et al. www.cnbmg.org
Biotechnology Industry Association (BIO) – www.bio.org BPS Biodegradable Plastics Society (Japan) –
conference breakout sessions such as Engineering www.bpsweb.net/02_english
Aspects of Biomass Refining into Biofuels, Plasticker Online-Marketplace for the plastics industry –
Biochemicals and Bioplastics & PHAs from Metabolix www.plasticker.com