PIVERT: a unique ITE in plant chemistry
PIVERT is an ITE and an interdisciplinary platform for carbon-free energy investigations; the unit brings together the skills available in industrial sectors and in public research in compliance with a logic of co-investment.
Description
In a context where we see rarefaction of resources, price volatility and the environmental impact of human activities, there is an opportunity to rethink the current energy model, base almost exclusively on oil products. The PIVERT ITE therefore is aiming at developing a renewable form of chemistry that draws on agriculturally sourced materials to replace the fossil sources (cola, oil …). It will be the first European centre on such a scale, the objective being to valorise complete seed oil plants (flowers, seed, stems, roots) by converting the material into renewable chemical products and new 'green' energy sources.
The objective of PIVERT is to group together on a unique suite, in Compiegne – in a design that meets the requirements of HQE (High Environmental Quality) – the actors in both academic research and associate industrialists in order to prepare a new plant chemistry industrial sector. The challenge is to make use of oil-bearing plants, for their oil ad for their fibre contents, while valorising the rest of the plant, eliminating as much as possible the amount of wastes or value-less by-products, moving in the direction of a policy of sustainable development.
Chemistry supplies raw materials to most industrial sectors; consequently, the products coming from renewable chemistry aim at a multitude of possible application areas: foodstuff additives, for health sector uses, ingredients and active molecules for cosmetics, new polymers, building materials (e.g., cladding) …
The bio-refinery project is also in line with the Picardie Region's logic in favour of sustainable development. By grouping together in a single employment basin all the units concerned, the idea is to create a truly industrial eco-system: the by-products of certain activities will serve as raw material for other activities with a concomitant energy recycling, minimum wastes and saving of water.
PIVERT also entertains the ambition to offer new and lasting outlets to the agricultural world and for associate equipment manufacturers. It will be an answer to the issue of re-industrialization of France and will comply with both a coherent and a sustainable development programme.
Project patrons
9 public and private founder-patrons
- UTC
- UTT
- UPJV
- Sofiprotéol
- Maguin
- PCAS
- IAR Pole
- Rhodia
- SNC Lavalin
6 UTC laboratories involved
- Mécanique, énergie et électricité (Roberval)
- Génie enzymatique et cellulaire (GEC) – FRE UTC/CNRS 3580
- Transformations intégrées de la matière renouvelable (TIMR) – EA 4297
- Biomécanique et bioingénierie (BMBI) – UMR UTC/CNRS 7338
- Connaissance, organisation et systèmes techniques (Costech) – EA 2223
- Laboratoire de mathématiques appliquées de Compiègne (LMAC) – EA 2222
Contacts de la recherche à l'UTC
Plaquette des investissements d'avenir à l'UTC