SOLRESS

Innovative biotech routes for efficient bio-based solvent production promoting a safe and sustainable European industry

Objectives

The main objective of SOLRESS is to develop an integrated biorefinery system capable of producing widely used industrial solvents—such as ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, and butyl acetate—from bio-based raw materials derived from second-generation sugars obtained from post-consumer coffee grounds and lignocellulosic biomass.

In addition, the project also seeks to valorise the hemicellulose fraction to produce green solvents such as 2-MeTHF and GVL, offering safe, sustainable and competitive alternatives to the fossil-based and toxic solvents currently in use.

Description

SOLRESS proposes to transform the production of industrial solvents through an advanced biorefinery that replaces fossil raw materials with renewable resources from waste and by-products. The project focuses on obtaining key solvents — ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, butyl acetate, 2-MeTHF and GVL — from second-generation sugars derived from coffee grounds and lignocellulosic biomass.

To achieve this, SOLRESS will develop and optimise conversion and purification processes (DSP) that enable the production of efficient, safe and cost-competitive solvents compared to petrochemical equivalents. These solvents will be validated in real applications within sectors with high solvent consumption, such as paints and coatings, cosmetics and materials processing, evaluating their performance and their ability to replace hazardous substances such as NMP, CCl₄, THF or toluene.

The project also incorporates the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach, ensuring that the new solvents are safe, sustainable and industrially scalable. Overall, SOLRESS aims to drive the transition to a greener chemical industry, reduce dependence on fossil raw materials and demonstrate the industrial viability of high value-added bio-based alternatives.