Translated with DeepL.

Dr Fabiana Fantinel, thank you for taking the time for our Hot Seat Interview. We look forward to taking a closer look at your innovative approach to utilising CO₂ as a raw material for biodegradable plastics.

Please briefly explain to our readers: What is CO₂BioClean – and what exactly are you working on?

We are a start-up founded in 2019 and use our patented process to produce a biodegradable plastic, known as PHA, from CO2. Our pilot plant has been in operation at the Frankfurt-Hoechst Industrial Park since 2024. In addition to the pilot plant, we are working with partners on numerous projects to use our biodegradable plastic in applications.

Together with the Bavarian State Forests, you are currently testing your biodegradable growth covers based on CO2. What is so special about this application?

Large quantities of plastic are currently being introduced into the forest through growth covers that protect young trees from being bitten by wild animals. Many forestry organisations are currently in the process of replacing growth covers made from conventional plastics. Our growing cover combines sustainability with cost-effectiveness. It is sustainable because it is biodegradable and is not made from fossil raw materials. And it is economical because it is easy to produce and transport – much easier than solutions made from wood, for example. Together with the Bavarian State Forests, we are currently testing more than 1,000 growth covers in a forest near Augsburg. The most important goal is to gain practical experience on the speed at which the growth covers degrade in the forest.

What other applications are you currently working on?

The versatility of our bioplastic allows us to cover a wide range of applications. The properties of PHA are somewhat comparable to those of polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). An important field for us is the area of fibres & textiles. We can produce different types of fibres that can then be used in the textile industry, for example. We have also recently succeeded in producing a two-dimensional fabric without having to interweave the individual fibres.

Other important projects include the development of a film for the packaging sector and the use of our PHAs in cosmetics.

Another focus is on applications that can be produced using the 3D printing process. Bioplay GmbH, which specialises in sustainable toys, is planning to launch the world’s first toy made from CO₂ in a small series on the market in 2025 – which will then also be the first commercial product made from our material.

How is CO₂-based plastic currently accepted on the market – what about acceptance and understanding on the customer side?

In answering this question, it is important to understand that our pilot plant is not intended for commercial use. The quantities produced are used to develop applications and to test them in practice on a limited scale – such as the growth covers or toys mentioned above. Our partnerships therefore consist of development projects in which we develop applications with one or more partners.

Before we put our pilot plant into operation in 2024, it was very, very difficult to get companies interested in working with us. The pilot plant has changed that significantly. We have been able to launch numerous projects in recent months – the Chemical Cluster has also supported us very successfully in this regard. Now that we have started preliminary planning for the first commercial plant, we should become even more attractive as a partner.

Even if some of the industries relevant to us are still taking a wait-and-see approach, we believe that there are plenty of partners with the courage and entrepreneurial vision to advance CO₂BioClean technology.

As a young company, CO₂BioClean faces the challenge of bringing Carbon Capture & Utilisation (CCU) processes to an industrial scale. Where do you currently face the biggest hurdles?

​​With our technology, we offer the opportunity to make key parts of the plastics industry sustainable in terms of CO₂ emissions and plastic pollution. We are addressing two pretty big problems. As a result, our vision has enormous appeal, thanks to which we have been able to develop steadily over the last 6 years – despite many challenges.

We see a relevant hurdle in the framework conditions. Although both CCU projects and bioplastics projects are subsidised, they have hardly been supported in commercial use to date. In other areas, such as drivetrain technology, fuels and aircraft fuels, market access is secured via quota regulations, for example, thereby creating planning security. The lack of planning certainty is a major challenge for us when we talk to investors about our technology.

In which areas do you see points of contact for companies from the Bavarian Chemical Cluster or beyond that want to work together with CO₂BioCclean?

We see two points of contact: Firstly, we are looking for companies that want to differentiate themselves from their competitors in the future with biodegradable and CO₂-based products and would like to develop applications from PHA together with us. Our focus is on cosmetics, packaging, applications in agriculture and in the fibre and textile sector. However, we are also very open to other segments.

​Secondly, we are looking for a partner to build the first commercial plant. We can imagine a joint venture, for example. Potential partners include companies from the plastics industry that want to establish a foothold outside of fossil raw materials or CO₂ emitters that are looking for an economically viable outlet for their CO₂.

Thank you very much for the exciting insights and all the besst for your next steps!

Dr Fabiana Fantinel is the founder and CEO of CO2BIOCLEAN and has many years of experience in the plastics and biotechnology industry. With her expertise at the interface of chemistry, materials science and industrial innovation, she is driving forward the vision of utilising CO₂ as a sustainable resource for plastics production.