Sustainability

The potential of green hydrogen to plug the intermittency of solar and wind whilst burning like natural gas and serving as feedstock in industrial chemical processes has attracted the interest of industry, governments and investors. From oil and gas players, utilities, industries from steel to fertilisers and more, green hydrogen is regarded as the best bet for harmonising the intermittency of renewables.   Green hydrogen is produced through water electrolysis, a process that separates water into hydrogen and oxygen, using electricity generated from renewable sources. Today, it accounts for just 0.1% of global hydrogen production according to the World Economic Forum. The main disadvantage of green hydrogen production via water electrolysis is (1) its high energy consumption of more than 50 kWh per kg and the need for large land areas and (2) the competition of usage for water it creates.   The proposed hydrogen production technology is based on the decomposition of methane (CH4) molecule in oxygen-free environment by low energy microwave plasma. Unlike electrolysis, this process does not produce CO2 as it decomposes CH4 directly into gaseous hydrogen and solid carbon, both are industrially valuable products. Compared to water electrolysis, this process saves up to 5 times the energy required to produce hydrogen from methane, at competitive costs. The process can be installed on-site, at the end of the gas infrastructure, reducing the need to invest in a new H2 infrastructure. The fact that, coupled with biomethane, the technology is CO2 negative, representing an indirect air capture solution is another major advantage.   The technology owner is seeking OEM partners in Singapore (1) to co-develop complete solutions integrating the proposed technology for specific applications or (2) integrate the technology into industrial demonstration sites.

Recently, the rising adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and portable electronics has made electronic waste (e-waste) pollution worse, especially when small and low-power IoT devices are single-use only. As such, low-cost and environmentally friendly power sources are in high demand. The technology owner has developed an eco-friendly liquid-activated primary battery for single-use and disposable electronic devices. The battery can be activated by any aqueous liquid and is highly customisable to specific requirements (i.e., shape, size, voltage, power) of each application. This thin and flexible battery can be easily integrated into IoT devices, smart sensors, and medical devices, providing a sustainable energy solution for low-power and single-use applications. The technology owner is keen to do R&D collaboration and IP licensing to industrial partners who intend to use liquid-activated batteries to power the devices.

Bioplastics have gained significant attention due to the environmental issues of fossil-based plastics and the realisation of limited petroleum resources. On the other side, industrial and agricultural organic wastes are produced in huge quantities worldwide, resulting in serious environmental and economic impacts. To solve the above problems, the technology owner has developed a 100% natural biotechnological process to convert industrial and agricultural organic waste into bioplastics. Bioplastics are fully biodegradable and biocompatible, with no harm to humans and environment. These bioplastics are applicable to industrial plastic processes and potentailly replace conventional plastics in short lifespan applications. The use of industrial and agricultural waste as cheaper sources not only makes the production process more economic but also helps in the management of organic waste, contributing to the goal of a circular economy. This technology is available for IP licensing and R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are interested in the sustainable production of bioplastics using organic waste.

Feed cost generally accounts for 60% to 70% of the total production costs in an intensive shrimp aquaculture system. Fishmeal, which is often the main ingredient of shrimp feed, is one of the reasons for the high cost. It is also unsustainable to use fishmeal as it is derived from fish, contributing to the depletion of other fish species on a global scale. The technology offer is an alternative protein source in shrimp feed that uses okara, a nutrient-dense side stream from soy milk and bean curd production. Direct application of unprocessed okara into shrimp feed may work, however, due to the presence of anti-nutrients, the absorption of protein and amino acids from the okara may be limited. The technology developer has formulated a shrimp feed with an optimum amount of processing to increase the digestibility and enhance the nutritional properties and at the same time lowering the cost of shrimp feed by up to 50%. Currently, the developer has developed shrimp feed suitable for L. vannamei shrimp species with complete or partial replacement of animal protein which is fish meal. The technology is available for IP licensing and IP acquisition as well as R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are keen to adopt the solution. 

Anti-corrosion coatings have attracted tremendous attention due to their significant safety, financial, and environmental impacts. However, the protective coatings are highly susceptible to damage during transport, installation, and service. The detection of initial micro-cracks is very difficult, but the propagation of corrosion can be quite fast. Therefore, smart coating with self-healing function is a promising route to address the above challenges. The technology owner has developed a polymer-based hollow microcapsule that can release the active ingredients in response to external stimuli. Microcapsules encapsulated with corrosion inhibitors can be added as anti-corrosion additives in coating primer. In the presence of damage, microcapsules get activated and release corrosion inhibitors directly onto the corroding site to prevent the corrosion. This self-healing anti-corrosion coating can effectively extend materials’ lifetimes, reduce maintenance expenses, and enhance public safety. The advanced microcapsule technology can also largely reduce the content of toxic corrosion inhibitors by 90%, enabling an environmentally friendly coating solution. The technology owner is interested in IP licensing and R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are seeking self-healing smart coatings for corrosion protection. The microcapsule technology is also available for co-innovation in other applications, such as anti-fouling and agricultural pest control.

One-third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted. At the same time, millions of people are hungry and unable to afford a healthy diet. Having said that, food loss and waste could potentially impose food security and impact the world with nutrition, socioeconomic, and environmental issues.  This technology offer is a process technology that provides an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to utilise agri-food side stream and convert it to a valuable, high protein biomass. The technology develops precision approaches, i.e., the proper treatment methods for food sidestreams, specific separation means for target ingredients, suitable strains for protein production, and optimized operational conditions for the fermentation process. The process also utilises the inexpensive agri-food side stream as the novel feedstock for protein fermentation. The technology is available for R&D collaboration and test bedding, with partners that are interested in valorisation of food sidestreams to value-added edible protein. The technology owner is also keen to license and commercialize this technology.

Keratins are naturally occurring proteins found in hair, feathers, wool and other external protective tissues of animals. They are highly abundant, naturally produced and generally underutilized. At the same time, keratins offer versatile chemical properties that allow interactions with themselves or with other materials to improve behaviour. The technology provider has developed sustainable, biodegradable plastic materials by upcycling keratins derived from hair and feathers. In the preliminary studies, the technology provider has found ways to produce films that have the potential to be used as packaging materials. These films do not disintegrate readily in water, yet they fully degrade in soil within a week. They can be made in combination with other waste-derived biopolymers to improve strength to meet the needs of specific use cases. This technology is available for R&D collaboration, IP licensing, or IP acquisition, with industrial partners who are looking for a green packaging solution and to explore specific-use-case products. The technology provider is also interested to collaborate with the OEM partners having the keratin extraction facility from feathers and hair for the deployment of this technology.

Mixed plastic waste is an abundant resource containing approximately 7-12 wt.% hydrogen (H2). Traditionally, hydrogen is produced from non-sustainable fossil feedstock, such as natural gas, coal and petroleum oil. This technology offer is a thermo-catalytic process that sustainably recovers hydrogen from plastic waste instead. During hydrogen recovery process, instead of releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) that causes greenhouse gas effect, the technology converts emissions into a form of solid carbon, called carbon nanotubes (CNT). Solid carbon is easier to store and handle compared to the gaseous carbon dioxide. Furthermore, carbon can be sold as an industrial feedstock for manufacturing of polymer composites, batteries, concrete, paints, and coatings. With over 150-190 million tonnes of mixed plastic waste ending up in landfills and our environment annually, the technology offers a sustainable solution for the elimination of plastic waste and decarbonization while providing a clean hydrogen supply.

Platinum group metals (PGM) are critical raw materials (CRM) that are used across multiple industries and in countless applications including but not limited to autocatalytic converters, jewellery, glassware, petrochemical refining, electronics, biomedical, pharmaceuticals, dental implants etc. The primary supply of PGM, through the mining of PGM ores, makes up about 70% of the global supply of PGM. The two dominant producers of PGM are South Africa and Russia, supplying 85% of the mining output of PGM - this leads to a monopoly of the supply chain and price gouging. Recycling PGM-containing waste offers advantages of addressing the supply deficit with less environmental impact compared to mining. However, conventional recycling methods suffer from high energy costs due to high processing temperature of about 1500 oC and requires downstream processing to treat waste which demands higher capital expenditure. Furthermore, the high processing temperatures results in high-value raw materials being burnt in the process and releasing harmful toxins. This technology offer is a novel biorecovery method that incorporates and modifies a series of different biochemical and biological processes in a simple 3-stage process as opposed to the multi-tiered stages of the current conventional methods used in industry. It offers the following advantages over the competition: Consumes 6x less energy 3x cheaper to operate Capable of recovering different PGM simultaneously with high yield even from low-grade waste This technology allows companies to recycle their spent catalyst in a truly green and sustainable manner.