SSUCHY-Next was officially launched in September 2024
SSUCHY-Next, which brings together 17 key European actors, was successfully launched in September 2024, in Leuven (Belgium). The kick-off meeting was the opportunity for the partners to meet in person and chart a course for the coming 4 years of work.
The project will lead to the extension of the range of applications of hemp fibre to sectors such as: wind energy and building applications. To do so, the project will go beyond its predecessor, SSUCHY, which developed the hemp fibre supply chain and bio-based epoxy resin. The consortium will scale up hemp fibre production and develop 3 new bio-based resins (bio-based acrylic polymer Elium® with very high bio-content, fully bio-based benzoxazine, and fully bio-based BG-epoxy) for sustainable composite materials. These bio-based composites will serve as basis for demonstrators to be developed at TRL7 in the framework of the project including a 12.6 m wind turbine blade, bulk mould compounded products like façade panels, wood-based construction materials.
4 years and a significant grant to do it
The project will last four years and has a total budget cost of 8.7 million euros. SSUCHY-Next was granted 6.7 million euros from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). The CBE JU is a public-private partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), an organization that connects large and small/medium enterprises, research institutions, universities and public and private bodies at European level involved in the development of the circular bioeconomy.
A project from hemp fields and bio-based resin precursors to fully bio-based composites and beyond
In the order to go from hemp fields and bio-based resin precursors to fully bio-based composites and beyond, the consortium is made of 17 key partners with valuable expertise that contribute to main steps of the value chain:
- Hemp characterization / Initial processing / Bio-based resins production
- Fully bio-based high-performance composites
- Integration of the composites in various environmentally sound applications
SSUCHY-Next uses a robust work chain to produce high-performance bio-based composites by integrating hemp fibre with 3 innovative bio-based resins, and demonstrates their use in industrial applications like wind turbine blades, load-bearing structural elements, bulk mould compounded products like façade panels, etc. The project includes LCAs to assess the environmental performance of these bio-based materials and a strong focus on the management of their end-of-life to ensure circularity.
Interested by the project? Follow the SSUCHY-Next’s Linkedin page to receive updates on its latest developments.