PACE Launches Europes First Full-Scale Retrofitted Biorefinery to Transform Potato Juice into Bio-Based Products

In July 2026, the PACE (Potato Juice to Fatty Acids for New Bio-based Value Chains in Europe) project announced the opening of the first fully renovated biorefinery in Europe with the goal of turning potato juice into useful bio-based compounds. Potato juice, a byproduct of making potato starch, will be processed into medium-chain fatty acids at the facility, which is situated at Royal Avebes' production location in the Netherlands using an existing industrial plant. The project supports Europe's circular economy and sustainable manufacturing goals while showcasing how agricultural side streams may be converted into high-value renewable products.

It is anticipated that the renovated biorefinery will process close to 300,000 tons of potato juice annually and generate about 20,000 tons of bio-based MCSAs. In areas including personal care, home care, food additives, animal nutrition, and specialized chemicals, these renewable compounds can take the place of materials obtained from fossil fuels and palm oil. The idea reduces waste produced during food processing and increases resource efficiency by turning an underutilized byproduct into commercially useful raw materials.

The PACE project improves current industrial infrastructure, which makes the switch to bio-based manufacturing more economical and environmentally sustainable than traditional greenfield biorefineries. Retrofitting an existing plant reduces the need for new construction, saves money, and speeds up the commercial implementation of cutting-edge biorefinery technology. By processing the byproduct near its source, the initiatives also lessen the requirements for transportation, which helps cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost overall production efficiency.

To create renewable chemicals, the project employs an integrated circular production approach in which leftover process streams are useful for energy recovery, biogas production, and fertilizer production rather than being thrown away. This strategy minimizes the impact on the environment while optimizing the value of agricultural resources. To facilitate the broader implementation of advanced biorefineries throughout Europe, the group will also assess the technology's scalability, sustainability advantages, and commercial performance.

The opening of the PACE biorefinery demonstrates the increasing trend of circular bio-based production. In which industrial waste is transformed into useful materials instead of being disposed of as garbage. The initiative is anticipated to boost Europe's bioeconomy, promote sustainable chemical production, and lessen reliance on traditional fossil-based feedstocks across many industries by fusing cutting-edge biotechnology with current industrial assets.

Impact on the Chemical Industry

According to Precedence Research, to improve resource efficiency and sustainability while lowering reliance on fossil-based raw resources, the chemical industry is progressively implementing circular economy principles. Manufacturers are being encouraged to invest in bio-based feedstocks, advanced biorefinery technologies, and renewable chemical manufacturing processes by growing regulatory pressure to reduce carbon emissions and industrial waste. Byproducts from food processing and agricultural leftovers are becoming important substitute raw resources for manufacturing industrial ingredients, fuels, and specialty chemicals.

A major step toward the commercialization of circular chemical manufacture has been taken with the PACE projects' opening of Europe's first fully renovated biorefinery. The experiment shows how industrial byproducts can be turned into high-value renewable chemicals rather than being disposed of as garbage by turning potato juice into medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). By optimizing the use of current resources, this strategy not only lessens reliance on feedstocks derived from petroleum and palm oil but also enhances the overall sustainability of chemical manufacturing.

The project's retrofitting approach emphasizes the increasing trend of modernizing already existing industrial facilities as opposed to building brand new manufacturing facilities. Modernizing existing infrastructure lessens the environmental impact of new development, lowers capital costs, and expedites implementation schedules. Retrofitted biorefineries are anticipated to grow in popularity as a commercial solution for the production of renewable chemicals as industries look for more affordable decarbonization techniques.

Innovation in the chemical sector is also expected to be stimulated by the combination of biotechnology, industrial fermentation, and circular resource management. If bio-based medium-chain fatty acids are successfully commercialized, similar technologies for turning industrial and agricultural waste into useful chemical compounds may become more widely used. It is anticipated that these advancements will enhance sustainable supply chains, boost resource efficiency, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and hasten the shift to a circular and low-carbon chemical sector.

Impact on the Bio-based Chemicals Market

The global bio-based chemical market size was calculated at USD 110.04 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 120.75 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 278.49 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 9.73% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, the market for bio-based chemicals is expanding due to rising attempts to lessen reliance on fossil fuels and rising demand for sustainable raw materials. To create ecologically friendly chemicals with smaller carbon footprints, governments and businesses are investing in biotechnology, circular production techniques, and renewable feedstocks to facilitate the shift to a more sustainable chemical industry. Industrial waste streams and agricultural byproducts are emerging as significant alternative feedstocks.

By showcasing the commercial synthesis of bio-based medium-chain fatty acids from potato juice, an underutilized agricultural byproduct, the PACT project's opening of Europe's first full-scale retrofitted biorefinery supports this trend. The study demonstrates how cutting-edge biorefinery technology can transform renewable biomass into valuable chemicals for use in food ingredients, animal nutrition, personal care, home care, and specialty chemical applications. These advancements are anticipated to promote broader use of renewable feedstocks while lowering dependency on chemical additives generated from petroleum and palm oil.

By reducing production costs and speeding up technological implementation, the project's emphasis on retrofitting current industrial infrastructure also aids in the commercialization of bio-based chemicals. Investments in cutting-edge biorefineries are expected to bolster global bio-based chemical supply chains, increase resource efficiency, and encourage the creation of novel renewable chemical products as demand for sustainable products rises. The long-term expansion of the worldwide market for bio-based chemicals is anticipated to be aided by these developments.

Impact on the Industrial Biotechnology Market

The global biofuels market size was calculated at USD 141 billion in 2025 and is anticipated to reach around USD 271.84 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 6.78% over the forecast period from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, investments in cutting-edge biofuel production technologies and sustainable biorefineries are being driven by the increased emphasis on lowering greenhouse gas emissions and boosting the usage of renewable energy sources. To lessen reliance on fossil fuels, governments and businesses are promoting the use of agricultural waste, food processing byproducts, and other renewable biomass to create biofuels. These programs aid in the creation of circular bioeconomy models that optimize resource use and reduce industrial waste.

By showcasing how potato juice, a byproduct of potato starch production, can be transformed into valuable bio-based goods using cutting-edge biorefinery technology, the PACE project's opening of Europe's first full-scale retrofitted biorefinery supports this trend. The project-integrated biorefinery strategy illustrates the wider possibilities of using agricultural side streams to assist renewable fuel and bio-based product production even if its primary focus is on creating bio-based medium-chain fatty acids. Sustainable resource use is further strengthened by the project's zero-waste plan, which includes biogas production and energy recovery from residual process streams.

About PACE

A cooperative European project called PACE aims to develop circular bioeconomy solutions by turning potato manufacturing waste into valuable bio-based compounds. The project unites businesses, academic institutions, and technology partners to show how cutting-edge biorefinery technologies can convert agricultural side streams into sustainable raw materials.

The project's main goal is to transform Royal Avebe's current production plant in the Netherlands so that potato juice may be converted into bio-based medium-chain fatty acids. PACE seeks to lower capital expenditure, increase resource efficiency, and hasten the commercialization of renewable chemical manufacturing technologies by making use of the current industrial infrastructure. By using leftover process streams for uses like energy recovery, fertilizer generation, and biogas production, the effort also advances a zero-waste strategy.

PACE aims to build sustainable value chains throughout Europe while lowering reliance on feedstocks produced from fossil fuels and palm oil with support from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon Europe initiatives. The project intends to demonstrate scalable solutions that assist Europe in shifting toward a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and sustainable bio-based economy through innovation in biotechnology, industrial fermentation, and circular manufacturing.