SURFACTANTS
characteristics ,” adds Lieffering . Thus , the technology opens up a whole range of performance options for different applications by tweaking the ratio . The next stage will be to modify these products to achieve further specific functionality . Indeed , one key advantage of the agreement with Dow is leaving Locus PI free to develop the technology into areas outside home and personal care , including industrial and institutional cleaning , water treatment , CASE , metalworking , agriculture and more . The company will now seek to work with raw materials that do not at all compete with food production , such as food waste . Finally , it will also look at other glycolipids , such as mannosylerythritol , phospholipids , polymeric biosurfactants and lipopeptides .
Approaching zero
“ These ingredients use our novel fermentation process , which results in a near-zero carbon footprint ,” Lieffering says . At the moment , what carbon footprint there is in Europe is the result of having to transport the product from the US , so the company is looking for locations to start production in Europe , as well as other locations worldwide . “ If we produce them in Europe , using green electricity , we will be able to claim a near-zero or possibly even a negative carbon footprint .” Moreover , the non-GMO sugars used to make it are already sourced from Europe , so shipping it to the US for manufacture and shipping it back again afterwards “ is a bit of a challenge in terms of carbon footprint . But the new REACH registrations and our ability to quickly expand production in the EU to meet rising demand bring us closer to realising the goal of a zero-carbon footprint future ”. One important fact to note here is that the sophorolipids are produced in a patented modular process . To start production , Locus PI does not need to invest tens of millions of euros in a chemical plant ; it can simply install as many fermentation vessels as are necessary to meet demand and scale up as rapidly as that demand requires . All that it needs is electricity and running water . Lieffering is the only one of Locus PI ’ s employees who is not based in the US , so there is a lot of world for him to cover . However , plans are in progress to hire additional sales support in the region . In the next couple of years , Lieffering sees the European market as the key focus . This is not just because it is more developed than the Middle East and Africa ; it is also because here is where sustainability has moved centre-stage . Sustainability – both from regulatory and consumer pressure – is what is above all driving the growth of biosurfactants . And Lieffering is confident that the demand will continue to be there . Particularly in Europe , he says , consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable product regardless of performance – although sophorolipids actually outperform conventional alternatives in many respects . Moreover , capacity is running far behind demand . “ I was recently at a conference where potential customers were saying that biosurfactants are very important for their development in the beauty industry ,’ he says . “ They want to go green but cannot yet because the capacity is way too small . The potential is huge .” • * - Amphi and Ferma are both trademarks of Locus
Ronald Lieffering
VICE PRESIDENT , EMEA
LOCUS PI k + 1 888 510 0004 J info @ locuspi . com j www . locuspi . com
39