Menu
Driven by our curiosity, admiration and respect for nature, we embrace her power to close material cycles.
Since the industrial revolution mankind has exploited nature without taking the ecosystem boundaries into account. Although this has brought us incredible wealth, over time this has brought us further and further away from a planetary equilibrium. This is not sustainable…
At Paques Biomaterials we believe that prosperity and sustainability can go hand in hand. Our biomaterials are naturally produced using renewable resources. In harmony with nature.
The Paques Biomaterials team has developed its own technology for production of PHA polymers using circular feedstocks for over 10 years. The PHA polymers are produced by natural bacteria that use the polymer as food reserve, just as humans use fat. These bacteria can accumulate PHA up to 90% of their cell weight, and they can do this while consuming organics in a wide variety of residual streams, such as industrial wastewater or solid organic wastes.
The proprietary technology of Paques Biomaterials can harness this amazing natural process and accumulate PHA in biomass effectively, stabilize its quality and purify the polymer, producing our high quality Caleyda. Caleyda can be tuned for a wide variety of uses while always keeping its most crucial property: it is fully biodegradable in natural environments.
In 2011, Paques joined forces with the Technical University of Delft (TUD) to further develop their new concepts to produce PHA polymers using a mixed culture approach. This mixed culture approach is ideal to use with residual feedstocks, as sterilization procedures are not required. Since then we enlarged our R&D network in Europe and we keep on developing new technologies for PHA production using mixed cultures, counting currently with a total of 7 patents.
Since 2012 we have performed 7 successful pilot projects for PHA biomass production using different waste streams as feedstock: industrial wastewater (candy factories & paperboard factories) and source separated municipal solid waste. We have also piloted different PHA rich biomass production concepts, widening our range of process options to better suit different cases.
We have also piloted our PHA extraction process using green solvents. A process that is key to generate Caleyda with fine-tuned properties.
Paques Biomaterials was carved out from its mother company Paques. Paques is a global company focusing on selling industrial wastewater and biogas treatment installations but for the PHA production technology a different business model and different visions were seen as key to scale it up and bring Caleyda to the market. In 2021, Paques Biomaterials became fully independent from Paques (at legal and shareholder level) to follow its own path and bring Caleyda to the market.
In 2022 we started operations of our first demonstration plant for PHA biomass production in Dordrecht, Netherlands. This Demo plant is part of the project PHA2USE, involving a consortium between Paques Biomaterials, HVC, Aquaminerals, STOWA and 5 Dutch water authorities. This unique Demo facility can be used with different PHA biomass production approaches and use different circular feedstocks, brought in from other locations.
Paques Biomaterials is currently designing and engineering its own PHA extraction Demo plant which will be operational in 2024 and located in Emmen, Netherlands, completing the full demonstration of the technology to produce Caleyda.
In 2024, we will build our first full scale PHA biomass production plant. This will be just the start…
The PHA biomass produced at this first plant will be purchased by Paques Biomaterials to further process it into products or Caleyda®, in its future full scale PHA extraction plant.
End of 2026, production of Caleyda at the full scale extraction plant will start! The first sales are expected for 2027.
Once the business case is firmly established, Paques Biomaterials has global ambitions. Besides expanding by building new PHA production facilities, Paques Biomaterials will also license its technology to strategic partners in other regions of the globe, accelerating the expansion of Caleyda!
Ir. J.F. Joost Pâques MBA
Co-founder and CEO
“My dream is to make a contribution to this world in the environment, while growing the northern circular economy.”
Dr. Ir. R.A. René Rozendal
Co-founder and CTO
“My dream is a human society in complete symbiosis with nature.”
Ing. Richard Schrama MBA
CCO
My dream is to show the world that our PHA is a unique bioplastic! Our PHA is produced from side streams without using any land or crops. Our bioplastic – we call it Caleyda – is fully biodegradable in soil and (ocean) water, avoiding having microplastics in the environment.
Dr. João Sousa
Technology Development Lead
“My dream is to make sustainable and marketable products by using the incredible processes present in nature.”
Dr. Ir. Jelmer Tamis
R&D Engineer
“My dream is to scale-up and implement our PHA technology.”
Ir. Boudewijn Brandt
R&D Engineer
“My dream is to create an environment with materials and living spaces worthy of humanity, where we and our children can live a connected and meaningfull life.”
Ir. René Veltman
Process Engineer
“I thrive to get the PHA production plant working in the best possible way and make it improve each day, to gain the most benefit for a world sustainable solution.”
Dr. Ir. Chris Vermeer
R&D Engineer
“My dream is to use the natural world as a source of solutions to engineer a biobased future.”
Edwin van Dijk
Jr. Process Engineer
“Magnificent is the space where we live, grandiose is the world we inhabit, keen are the senses we have and small are the steps we take. With this in body and mind it is my dream to create, and work for and towards a society that is in balance with itself and all other things around it.”
Research & Development
Prof. Dr. h.c. Ir. Mark van Loosdrecht
Plant operations
Drs. Sjoerd Visser
Polymer industry
Mr. Ruud Rouleaux
Paper industry & Biobased industry
Dr. Ir. Annita Westenbroek
