Hive Energy’s CEO, Giles Redpath, recently visited CuanTec’s pilot production facility in central Scotland, to see how the organisation is moving towards generating sustainable products.
In a productive visit, the teams carried out a full site tour, showing the fantastic progress made over the past few months with a large portion of equipment now installed.
CuanTec’s circular economy product
CuanTec is one of Hive Ventures’ circular economy partnerships. Hive acquired the majority share when it invested in the company in early 2022.
The team is developing a unique processing technology that converts shellfish waste into a material called Chitosan, a 100% compostable biopolymer with multiple uses across multiple categories including biomedical, cosmetic, agricultural, and industrial applications. This is a fantastic circular economy project as shellfish waste causes environmental damage – to dispose of it, it is commonly sent to landfill or incinerated, emitting CO2 into our environment. With CuanTec’s scientifically proven methods, shellfish waste can now be dispoup-cycled into valuable products in a more eco-friendly manner.
About the production facility
The pilot production facility is making excellent progress and is due to commence first production in Q2 2024. With significant work planned over the coming weeks, the CuanTec team are excited to reach the final milestones in this pilot project.
Once up and running, the chitin produced within CuanTec’s facilities will be used in a range of applications, including medicine, food, and cosmetic industries. The material can also be converted into films and coatings, which will support the movement away from single use plastic.
