Covestro Launches Bio4PURConti: EU-Funded Project for World's First Continuous Bio-Based Aniline Production

Covestro has launched Bio4PURConti (Bio-Based Continuous Production for Sustainable Polyurethane Industry), a pioneering EU-funded project aiming to develop the world’s first continuous production process for bio-based aniline.

The Technology Breakthrough

Aniline is a key raw material for the plastics and chemical industry, notably for MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate), a core building block for polyurethanes. Fossil-based aniline production generates approximately 20 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually worldwide.

Covestro’s bio-based process uses a tailored microorganism that converts industrial sugars from plant-based biomass into an intermediate product through fermentation. In a second step, chemical catalysis converts this intermediate into aniline with 100% plant-based carbon.

What makes Bio4PURConti special: instead of the fed-batch method used so far, the project targets continuous fermentation technology for the first time. By using plant-based sugars from hardwood biomass, the process promises significantly higher efficiency and scalability.

The Consortium

Covestro coordinates a 10-partner consortium across 7 countries, with pilot plants planned in Ghent (Belgium) and Leverkusen (Germany). The project targets semi-industrial scale production of bio-based aniline as a low-carbon drop-in replacement for conventional aniline.

Why It Matters

If successful, this technology could fundamentally decarbonize the polyurethane industry. Bio-based aniline works as a direct drop-in replacement — meaning existing manufacturing processes wouldn’t need to change. The project represents a major step toward making the entire polyurethanes value chain more sustainable.

Source: Covestro Press Release