Award entries were submitted across four categories, with the jury identifying nominees from each category to be considered as candidates for the overall prize.
Commented René Noppeney, Global Director of Water Technology Products & Innovation at Royal HaskoningDHV: “This award is a testament to the huge positive impact Kaumera will have on the circular economy. We are genuinely thrilled to receive this accolade. Kaumera can repel and absorb water and it is fire retardant. It is therefore, an exceedingly versatile raw material with the potential to be used in a host of applications from agriculture and the building sector, through to textile and paper industries. It is an environmentally and economically beneficial product which will help to secure the future through minimizing waste and promoting waste reuse.”
Kaumera is a valuable raw material, which can be used as bio stimulant, bidding and curing agent or coating material. This makes Kaumera a viable alternative to a variety of oil-based materials. The first large-scale Kaumera production unit was officially opened at the start of October in Zutphen, with the second production unit in Epe coming online in Spring 2020. The introduction of Kaumera offers a huge step forward for raw material recovery and the circular water economy. Using Kaumera as a sustainable biopolymer decreases the amount of fossil resources and first-generation biomass required. In addition, Kaumera production decreases energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the wastewater treatment process.
Kaumera is the result of intensive collaboration within the Nationaal Alginaat (grondstof voor bioplastic met daarin alginezuur, kan gewonnen worden uit organisch afval) Onderzoeks Programma (NAOP) between TU Delft, Royal HaskoningDHV, Stichting Toegepast Onderzoek Waterbeheer (STOWA (stichting onderzoek waterschappen)), the Vallei and Veluwe Water Authority, the Rijn en IJssel Water Authority and the biotechnology company ChainCraft. Each partner has contributed part of the knowledge and expertise for researching, developing, producing and marketing this raw material.Kaumera is made possible in part by subsidies from the European Union (LIFE), the national government (RVO, DEI) and the province of Gelderland, with the cooperation of Friesland Campina and the leading group within the Energy and Raw Materials Factory (water authorities that specifically deal with Kaumera).
The award win was announced 4 November at the opening ceremony of the Amsterdam International Water Week and the Aquatech Amsterdam.