For Industry
A scalable, market-ready source of bio-based chemicals across multiple sectors.
Retrofitted Biorefinery forBio-Based
Chemicals
Potato juice to fatty acids for new bio-based value-chains in Europe
PACE is retrofitting an existing potato processing facility into a full-scale, first-of-its-kind biorefinery, converting potato juice into high-value bio-based chemicals, specifically medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). Operating at industrial scale, the project validates market-ready, fossil-free alternatives to petro- and oleo-based chemicals through a zero-waste, cost-efficient retrofit, cutting emissions by up to 86% according to project assessments.
The project
What is PACE
PACE stands for Potato Juice to Fatty Acids for New Bio-Based Value Chains in Europe. Funded through Horizon Europe by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, the consortium is coordinated by ChainCraft and brings together partners spanning from feedstock supply to process engineering, formulation, and market application across Europe.
The moment
Why now?
Europe's chemical industry is under growing pressure to reduce its dependence on fossil resources and build resilience around renewable chemicals. Retrofitting existing infrastructure, rather than waiting for a new generation of purpose-built plants, offers a faster, lower-cost route to that transition.
PACE puts this logic into practice: an established industrial site becomes a platform for bio-based chemical production, without the delay or capital risk of starting from zero.
The process
From Potato Juice to Bio-Based Chemicals
Potato juice, frequently used to produce fertiliser or animal feed, is now redirected into the retrofitted biorefinery. There, it is purified into MCFAs used in fragrances, cleaning products, and animal nutrition, turning an everyday agricultural sidestream into a dependable industrial feedstock.
The impact
Why It Matters
Much of the chemical industry still depends on fossil-based raw materials for everyday products, from detergents to fragrances. The retrofit proves that an existing food industry sidestream can substitute for these inputs at real industrial scale, not just in a laboratory.
For the Environment
Substantially lower emissions than fossil-based equivalents, with by-products designed to be put to further use rather than discarded.
For Society
New local jobs and skills at the retrofitted facility, and a model other European regions can replicate.
Latest updates
Latest news
Follow the project's progress, from the ongoing retrofit through to full‑scale production, including milestones, partner announcements, and upcoming events.
News
A competitive bioeconomy for a sustainable future 2026
The European bioeconomy is gaining momentum, with bio-based innovation increasingly moving from research to industrial-scale implementation.
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Press release
PACE launches Europe's first full-scale retrofitted biorefinery to transform potato juice into sustainable bio-based chemicals
A new European flagship project is set to demonstrate, at industrial scale, how an underutilized side-stream from the potato processing industry can become a valuable source of sustainable chemicals.
Read article
The consortium
Our Partners
Ten organisations across seven European countries deliver PACE together, spanning feedstock supply, process engineering, formulation, and market application, coordinated by ChainCraft.
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