Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers on potato juice feedstock, MCFAs, biorefineries, and what makes PACE different.
- Why does PACE use potato juice?
- Potato juice is an underutilised sidestream from potato processing that is currently processed mainly into low-value fertiliser and animal feed. PACE will use it as feedstock for the production of high-value bio-based MCFAs, creating greater value from an existing industrial resource.
- What are medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs)?
- Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are versatile chemical building blocks used in a range of industrial applications. PACE focuses on purified bio-based MCFAs with chain lengths from four to eight carbon atoms (C4-C8), which can serve as platform chemicals or drop-in ingredients for the chemical industry.
- What is a biorefinery?
- A biorefinery sustainably processes biological feedstocks into a range of valuable products, such as chemicals, materials, food, feed or energy. PACE will demonstrate a retrofitted industrial biorefinery that uses potato juice to produce bio-based MCFAs.
- How is PACE different from other bio-based chemical projects?
- PACE aims to demonstrate a first-of-its-kind, full-scale retrofitted biorefinery integrated with an existing potato processing site. The project goes beyond laboratory-scale development by targeting industrial-scale production and validating the resulting bio-based MCFAs in applications including flavours and fragrances, surfactants, home care detergents and animal health supplements.
- What are bio-based chemicals?
- Bio-based chemicals are chemicals manufactured using biological material as feedstock. In PACE, potato juice will be used to produce bio-based MCFAs as sustainable alternatives to petro- and oleo-based equivalents.
