Covestro launches Bio4PURConti EU-funded project to develop continuous bio-based aniline production
LEVERKUSEN — Covestro has launched Bio4PURConti (Bio-Based Continuous Production for Sustainable Polyurethane Industry), an EU-funded initiative aimed at developing the world’s first continuous production process for bio-based aniline. Aniline is a key raw material for the plastics and chemical industry, notably for methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), a core building block for polyurethanes. Fossil-based aniline production generates approximately 20 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually worldwide.
The project, which kicked off in June 2026, targets a technological breakthrough by replacing the fed-batch fermentation method used to date with a continuous fermentation technology — a first for a high-volume chemical intermediate like aniline. Covestro’s bio-based process uses a tailored microorganism to convert industrial sugars from plant-based biomass into an intermediate product, which is then chemically catalysed into aniline with 100 percent plant-based carbon content. The resulting bio-based aniline is fully drop-in compatible with existing polyurethane value chains, meeting MDI specifications without requiring changes to downstream processes.
“Bio4PURConti is a landmark project — not just for Covestro or the aniline market, but for the entire field of industrial biotechnology,” said Dr. Markus Dugal, Head of Process Technology at Covestro. “Demonstrating continuous fermentation at semi-industrial scale for a high-volume raw material like aniline will set a new benchmark for what biotech processes can achieve in the chemical industry. Biology and engineering, when combined at scale, can fundamentally reshape how we produce the materials the world depends on.”
The project scales from laboratory to a 1.5 m³ semi-industrial demonstration at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant in Ghent, Belgium, and at Covestro’s Leverkusen site, integrating cell recycling, real-time analytics and downstream processing. Key objectives include higher space-time yields and significant improvement in product carbon footprint.
The 10-partner consortium spans seven countries and brings together leading industrial and academic organizations: Covestro Deutschland AG (Germany, coordinator), Fibenol Imavere OÜ (Estonia), University of Stuttgart (Germany), Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant VZW (Belgium), Center for Advisory Systems in Technology Dortmund e.V. – ZEDO (Germany), Norwegian University of Science and Technology – NTNU (Norway), Axel’One (France), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (Finland), Cluster Industrial Biotechnology – CLIB (Germany), and Asociación Española de la Innovación en el Marketing y la Inversión Sostenible – AEIMIS (Spain).
The project carries a total budget of €8.4 million, with €7 million in EU funding through the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 101292477). The project runs for 42 months.
As one of the world’s leading aniline producers with a production capacity exceeding one million tonnes per year, Covestro is uniquely positioned to drive this transformation toward more sustainable aniline production. The continuous fermentation approach, if successful at scale, could establish a new paradigm for bio-based chemical manufacturing beyond aniline alone.
About Covestro
Covestro is a world-leading supplier of high-tech polymer materials. With its core business segments — Performance Materials, Tailored Urethanes and Advanced Coatings & Adhesives — the company provides innovative, sustainable and diverse solutions for automotive, construction, electronics, furniture, healthcare and other industries. In 2025, Covestro generated sales of approximately €14.2 billion and employed around 17,500 people worldwide.
Source: Covestro press release / FAPU, 25 June 2026