Press Release: Circa Receives Green Light to Sell Non-toxic, Bio-based and Biodegradable Solvent in EU
- Details
- Monday, 10 December 2018
Biotechnology company Circa Group has received authorisation from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to manufacture or import up to 100 tonnes/year of its bio-based solvent CyreneTM in the European Union, after receiving REACH Annex VIII approval.
A chiral dipolar aprotic solvent, CyreneTM was developed in conjunction with the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) at the University of York. CyreneTM is a two step conversion of waste biomass, produced at Circa's large-scale prototype plant, built in partnership with pulp and paper company Norske Skog in Tasmania, Australia.
CyreneTM provides a safer alternative to these polar aprotic solvents facing regulatory pressure worldwide and is available through Circa’s distributors Merck/Sigma and Will&Co.
Tony Duncan, CEO and co-founder of Circa Group, said, "Annex VIII authorisation is a major milestone for CyreneTM and we are delighted to have been given the go-ahead to sell CyreneTM in significantly larger quantities in Europe. Safer solvents are urgently required and with CyreneTM, we are also offering a bio-based solution with a unique property set, including viscosity, surface tension and polarities – making it an exciting new prospect for advanced materials. Our next goal is registration of CyreneTM in the US and other jurisdictions will soon follow.”