How is bio-based aniline production expected to impact the conventional aniline market and MDI cost structure?

Covestro has launched the Bio4PURConti project, an EU-funded initiative with a total budget of 8.4 million euros, to develop the world's first continuous bio-based aniline process. The two-step route uses custom microbes to ferment plant sugars from hardwood biomass into an intermediate, which is then catalytically converted into aniline with 100% plant-based carbon. This matters because aniline accounts for 60-70% of MDI raw material costs, and conventional production generates roughly 20 million tonnes of CO2 annually. The project aims to demonstrate semi-industrial scale continuous fermentation, which could significantly improve efficiency and lower energy use compared to batch processes. If successful, bio-based aniline could reduce the carbon footprint of polyurethane supply chains, though commercialization remains years away.