Lixea

Lixea is a technology licensing company span out from Imperial College London in 2017. The company developed an environmentally friendly waste biomass processing technology using a novel solvent called ionic liquid. The novel, patented process takes any type of woody materials that would end up in landfill or would be burnt, including soft & hard wood, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, rice straw, contaminated construction wood waste and separates its components - cellulose fibres, lignin and valuable molecules from the hemicellulose part. These high-quality materials can be then converted into products, including packaging, fine and bulk biobased chemicals, bioplastics and biofuels using further chemical, biological and/or mechanical processing. The technology has the potential to serve many different markets and become a platform technology enabling the implementation of a true circular bioeconomy. In the last 4 years, the company engaged with over 150 companies around the world and introduced our biobased building blocks in various established and novel material formulations. 

Lixea’s pilot scale process in Bäckhammar, Sweden has been operational for 2 years now, producing materials for prototyping and product development at kg scale. Currently, the company is working towards the design and building of a 25,000 tonne / year  demonstration plant in Central Europe with its industry partners with the anticipation to further expand our operations in South & Norh America, South Africa, and Asia in the coming years.