Danimer Scientific Gets DOE Grant to Expand PHA Bioplastic Commercialization

Bioplastics are here to stay and even during difficult economic times appear to be getting increasing attention as indicated by the recent grant announcements by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Danimer Scientific, Bainbridge, Ga., has received a grant to expand commercialization of its Nodax PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate). Of the eight biomanufacturing companies the DOE selected to receive a total of nearly $5.7 million, Danimer Scientific is the sole recipient focused on creating biodegradable plastics.

All of Danimer Scientific's biopolymers, including Nodax PHA, are FDA approved for food contact. Nodax PHA is biodegradable in anaerobic soil, freshwater and marine environments and is 100% bio based. It also possesses seven TUV Austria certifications and statements of industrial and home compostability,.

The funded project will accelerate the commercialization of a material verified by the University of Georgia as a truly biodegradable alternative to traditional petrochemical plastic. To carry out the work, Danimer Scientific will work closely with research teams at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. With access to state-of-the-art facilities and expertise provided by the DOE program, Danimer Scientific will produce tunable combinations of PHA with different chain lengths, enabling the creation of new biodegradable plastics for a greater range of applications.

Said Danimer Scientific’s CTP Phil Van Trump, "Reducing the environmental impact of single-use plastic waste is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet, and with the DOE's support, we can explore potential new areas of applications for PHAs that have not been tried before. We thank the DOE for its support of this project and are looking forward to breaking new ground in the world of biodegradable plastics."

Part of the Agile BioFoundry (ABF) consortium, the eight projects selected by the DOE will leverage National Laboratory capabilities to address challenges in biomanufacturing. Sponsored by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office, the ABF aims to advance biomanufacturing by uniting and expanding the capabilities of the National Laboratories to develop a robust, agile biomanufacturing platform accessible to researchers across the private and public sectors  ABF partners include Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and more than a dozen university and industry partners.