Beckers Group Announces Strategic Partnership with Anodyne Chemistries to Pioneer World's First Renewable Chemicals

Beckers and Anodyne Chemistries are working together to create renewable Hexahydrophthalic Anhydride (HHPA), with the goal of making a low-carbon material for future coating solutions.

HHPA is a key ingredient in high-performance coating formulations, but its production is entirely reliant on petrochemical feedstocks and contributes significantly to the carbon footprint of Beckers’ coatings. At present, no sustainable alternatives to HHPA are available on the market.

Driving Innovation in Sustainable Solutions

Anodyne is leading the way in sustainable HHPA production by developing entirely new enzymes that use CO₂ as a feedstock. This groundbreaking process is powered by renewable electricity, replacing traditional carbon-intensive energy sources and significantly reducing the environmental footprint of HHPA manufacturing.

Research and development will be carried out at Anodyne’s facilities in Vancouver, Canada. Meanwhile, Beckers’ FutureLab innovation centre in Liverpool, UK, will conduct blending compatibility tests as part of its efforts to advance the next generation of coil coatings.

“Over the last couple of years, we have worked with partners to identify critical targets and expand our chemical catalogue,” said Manou Davies, Chief Technology Officer at Anodyne. “Our innovative reaction pathway can engineer enzymes capable of converting CO₂ into HHPA.” 

“We are focusing on HHPA, as it is an essential chemical for the coatings industry that currently has no sustainable production route based on renewable carbon,” explained Gavin Bown, Chief Technology Officer at Beckers. “In order to defossilize this essential feedstock, we need new catalysts and processes that unlock new reaction pathways. While HHPA is the highest priority target, we also see opportunities for other paint raw materials using the highly innovative Anodyne Chemistries process. Our collaboration with Anodyne is part of our broader sustainable innovation strategy at Beckers Group, where we are actively working with suppliers and start-ups upstream in our raw materials value chain, with the aim of accelerating the commercialisation of new sustainable technologies.” 

Source: Beckers