News
June 12th 2018
The headquarters of project partners ECN (now part of TNO) was the venue for the kick-off of new research project UNRAVEL. This project is funded by the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking and will run from June 2018 until May 2022.
The project addresses topic 2017.R2 of the 2017 BBI Work Programme - "Innovative technologies for the pre-treatment and serparation of lignocellulosic feedstock and complex composition streams into valuable fractions while maintaining key characteristics". Celignis is leader of Work Package 2 which concerns the detailed analysis of selected feedstocks, with a particular focus on extractives composition, and the optimisation of a pre-extraction process that could improve the yields and product qualities in subsequent pre-treatment.
The kick-off meeting took place between June 12-13 in Petten, The Netherlands and involved all 10 project partners.
Click here for more information on the project and Celignis's involvement.
Our New BBI Project Kicks Off!
The headquarters of project partners ECN (now part of TNO) was the venue for the kick-off of new research project UNRAVEL. This project is funded by the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking and will run from June 2018 until May 2022.
The project addresses topic 2017.R2 of the 2017 BBI Work Programme - "Innovative technologies for the pre-treatment and serparation of lignocellulosic feedstock and complex composition streams into valuable fractions while maintaining key characteristics". Celignis is leader of Work Package 2 which concerns the detailed analysis of selected feedstocks, with a particular focus on extractives composition, and the optimisation of a pre-extraction process that could improve the yields and product qualities in subsequent pre-treatment.
The kick-off meeting took place between June 12-13 in Petten, The Netherlands and involved all 10 project partners.
Click here for more information on the project and Celignis's involvement.
June 11th 2018
We are pleased to announce that our application to the Limerick Local Enterprise Office has been successful. The investment of €66,000 is part grant and part loan and will help to fund the following:
Expansion Grant Awarded to Celignis
We are pleased to announce that our application to the Limerick Local Enterprise Office has been successful. The investment of €66,000 is part grant and part loan and will help to fund the following:
- Three additional employees.
- Extra analytical equipment including: equipment for determining the biomethane potential (BMP) of feedstocks for anaerobic digestion (these units are already installed); an Ash Fusibility Test Furnace for determining the ash melting behaviour of biomass; and an Inductively Coupled Plasma device for determining the major and minor elements in biomass.
- Our upcoming relocation to a larger premises in Casteltroy, Co. Limerick, Ireland.
June 1st 2018
The 14th edition of the International Conference on Renewable Resources & Biorefineries will take place in Ghent, Belgium from Wednesday 30 May until Friday 1 June, 2018. Based on the previous RRB conferences, this conference is expected to welcome about 350 international participants from over 30 countries.
Celignis's Daniel Hayes will be giving am oral presentation entitled "Spinning out from an EU research project - the story so far" in the morning session on June 1st.
Talk by Daniel Hayes at RRB-14 in Ghent
The 14th edition of the International Conference on Renewable Resources & Biorefineries will take place in Ghent, Belgium from Wednesday 30 May until Friday 1 June, 2018. Based on the previous RRB conferences, this conference is expected to welcome about 350 international participants from over 30 countries.
Celignis's Daniel Hayes will be giving am oral presentation entitled "Spinning out from an EU research project - the story so far" in the morning session on June 1st.
May 23rd 2018
IBioIC and Zero Waste Scotland will host an event on 23 May, 2018 which will focus on establishing new value chain opportunities identified from the Scottish Bioresource data model.
This model contains the data used in the recently published Biorefining potential for Scotland report produced by Zero Waste Scotland. The event will outline the type of data that can be accessed from the model through the Scottish Bioresource Support Service.
Celignis's Daniel Hayes will be giving a presentation at the event entitled "The variability of feedstock composition and how it can determine the most appropriate value chain". It will show how the results from Celignis's detailed compositional analysis can be linked to data from the Zero Waste Scotland report on the arisings of potential biorefining feedstocks in order to estimate how the production of biofuels and bioproducts can address national sustainability requirements.
Click here to register for the event.
Celignis Presentation at Zero Waste Scotland Event
IBioIC and Zero Waste Scotland will host an event on 23 May, 2018 which will focus on establishing new value chain opportunities identified from the Scottish Bioresource data model.
This model contains the data used in the recently published Biorefining potential for Scotland report produced by Zero Waste Scotland. The event will outline the type of data that can be accessed from the model through the Scottish Bioresource Support Service.
Celignis's Daniel Hayes will be giving a presentation at the event entitled "The variability of feedstock composition and how it can determine the most appropriate value chain". It will show how the results from Celignis's detailed compositional analysis can be linked to data from the Zero Waste Scotland report on the arisings of potential biorefining feedstocks in order to estimate how the production of biofuels and bioproducts can address national sustainability requirements.
Click here to register for the event.
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April 15th 2018
On April 11th 2018 the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking released their annual work programme and budget for 2018. There is an indicative budget of 115 million Euros which will fund a total of 21 topics, comprising 11 Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs), 3 Coordinating and Supporting Actions (CSAs), 5 Demonstration-Scale projects, and 2 Flagships.
We consider that Celignis's expertise in detailed and accurate biomass analysis, as well as our ability to advance the state of the art in rapid biomass analysis through our NIR models, makes us valuable partners in consortia for many of these call topics.
As a result we have published a number of pitches for the calls in the 2018 work programme. Click here to view these pitches and feel free to get in touch with us if you would like to discuss potential collaborations.
Celignis's Pitches for the 2018 BBI Calls are Released
On April 11th 2018 the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking released their annual work programme and budget for 2018. There is an indicative budget of 115 million Euros which will fund a total of 21 topics, comprising 11 Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs), 3 Coordinating and Supporting Actions (CSAs), 5 Demonstration-Scale projects, and 2 Flagships.
We consider that Celignis's expertise in detailed and accurate biomass analysis, as well as our ability to advance the state of the art in rapid biomass analysis through our NIR models, makes us valuable partners in consortia for many of these call topics.
As a result we have published a number of pitches for the calls in the 2018 work programme. Click here to view these pitches and feel free to get in touch with us if you would like to discuss potential collaborations.
February 23rd 2018
The short profile on Celignis for the popular newsletter Biofuels Digest features our past and future milestones as well as the competitive edge that we have in the bioeconomy sector. Click here to read the article.
Celignis Featured in Biofuel Digest's 5-Minute Guide
The short profile on Celignis for the popular newsletter Biofuels Digest features our past and future milestones as well as the competitive edge that we have in the bioeconomy sector. Click here to read the article.
February 12th 2018
We will have a stand at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) 2108 event to be held in Washington DC, USA, between February 28th and March 2nd. The event is run by the popular Biofuels Digest newsletter.
This event includes 5 conferences in one:
Celignis personnel Daniel Hayes and Chris Comerford will be attending. We look forward to meeting you in Washington DC!
Celignis to Exhibit at ABLC 2018 in Washington DC
We will have a stand at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) 2108 event to be held in Washington DC, USA, between February 28th and March 2nd. The event is run by the popular Biofuels Digest newsletter.
This event includes 5 conferences in one:
- The 9th Annual Advanced Fuels Summit - focused this year on Advanced Biomass Diesel and BioCrude, and Advanced Alcohols and Alternatives to gasoline.
- The 8th annual Renewable Chemicals, Biomaterials & Intermediates Summit.
- The 9th annual Aviation Biofuels Summit.
- The 4th annual ABLC Crop & Feedstocks Summit.
- The 1st ABLC Economic Development & Deployment Showcase
Celignis personnel Daniel Hayes and Chris Comerford will be attending. We look forward to meeting you in Washington DC!
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February 11th 2018
On the 21st of February 2018 in Croke Park Dublin the Irish Bioenergy Agrency (IrBEA) National Conference will take place. This event, entitled Bioenergy Future Ireland 2018, promises to be one of the largest gatherings of bioenergy organisations, industry consumers, government and influencers from both Ireland and mainland Europe.
As an exhibitor we are able to offer 10 discounted tickets to the event, enter the code "bioenergy20" on the registration page to get a 20% discount.
Celignis Exhibting at IrBEA on Feb 21st in Dublin
On the 21st of February 2018 in Croke Park Dublin the Irish Bioenergy Agrency (IrBEA) National Conference will take place. This event, entitled Bioenergy Future Ireland 2018, promises to be one of the largest gatherings of bioenergy organisations, industry consumers, government and influencers from both Ireland and mainland Europe.
As an exhibitor we are able to offer 10 discounted tickets to the event, enter the code "bioenergy20" on the registration page to get a 20% discount.
January 29th 2018
We are recruiting for a person who will, as part our grant application, undertake a post-doc position at Celignis. The position will involve the following main tasks:
Click here for further details.
Post-Doc Position At Celignis
We are recruiting for a person who will, as part our grant application, undertake a post-doc position at Celignis. The position will involve the following main tasks:
- Develop techniques to selectively remove and analyse extractive components from biomass.
- Devise methods to separate/concentrate high-value chemicals from the extracts.
- Undertake biomass pre-treatment (organosolv) experiments on virgin and extracted biomass.
- Supervision of a PhD student and a number of lab analysts also working on this project.
- Maintenance of our chromatography and mass spectrometry equipment.
- Development of new commercial analysis packages for Celignis, based on the work undertaken in the research project and market needs.
Click here for further details.
January 24th 2018
THIS POSITION HAS NOW BEEN FILLED
We are recruiting for a person who will be an applicant in our application for funding for a 3 year PhD that will be associated with the University of Limerick but the student will be placed in the Celignis labs (also in Limerick) and employed by the company. The position will involve the following main tasks:
Click here for further details.
Applicant Wanted for PhD Grant Application
THIS POSITION HAS NOW BEEN FILLED
We are recruiting for a person who will be an applicant in our application for funding for a 3 year PhD that will be associated with the University of Limerick but the student will be placed in the Celignis labs (also in Limerick) and employed by the company. The position will involve the following main tasks:
- Expansion of our current near infrared (NIR) models so that they will be suitable for transfer/use with in-line process equipment at biomass processing facilities
- Undertaking detailed and selective protocols for the extraction of different chemicals from biomass, the analysis of these extracts, and the development of NIR models for the outputs of the process.
- Performing detailed chemical analysis of liquid outputs from biomass treatment processes (for example for sugar degradation products and oligomer content/composition) and the development of NIR models for the composition of these liquids
- Developing NIR models for the anaerobic digestion (AD) sector.
Click here for further details.
January 19th 2018
Local limerick newspaper has published an article on Celignis. It features an interview with CEO Dan Hayes.
Celignis Featured in Local Newspaper
Local limerick newspaper has published an article on Celignis. It features an interview with CEO Dan Hayes.
December 11th 2017
Celignis's Dan Hayes is in Rome for the two-day kick-off meeting for new project ENABLING. This is a coordinating and supporting action funded by the H2020-RUR-2017-1 call of the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.
The title of the project is an acronym that stands for 'Enhance New Approaches in BioBased Local Innovation Networks for Growth'. The focus of the project is on supporting the spreading of best practices and innovation in the provision (production, pre-processing) of biomass for the Bio-Based Industry (BBI). Celignis is one of 16 partners in the project, with the coordinator being ITABIA, the Italian Biomass Association.
Celignis will play a key role in the project with regards to stressing the importance of biomass composition in terms of evaluating feedstock and technology suitability. Over the course of the project we will also be contacting a number of stakeholders, both in Ireland and overseas, and will be involved in the organisation of a number of networking events.
Kick-off Meeting for New H2020 Project ENABLING
Celignis's Dan Hayes is in Rome for the two-day kick-off meeting for new project ENABLING. This is a coordinating and supporting action funded by the H2020-RUR-2017-1 call of the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.
The title of the project is an acronym that stands for 'Enhance New Approaches in BioBased Local Innovation Networks for Growth'. The focus of the project is on supporting the spreading of best practices and innovation in the provision (production, pre-processing) of biomass for the Bio-Based Industry (BBI). Celignis is one of 16 partners in the project, with the coordinator being ITABIA, the Italian Biomass Association.
Celignis will play a key role in the project with regards to stressing the importance of biomass composition in terms of evaluating feedstock and technology suitability. Over the course of the project we will also be contacting a number of stakeholders, both in Ireland and overseas, and will be involved in the organisation of a number of networking events.
December 9th 2017
We are recruiting for a programmer who will be responsible for the following key tasks:
Click here for further details.
We are Hiring!
We are recruiting for a programmer who will be responsible for the following key tasks:
- Development and expansion of our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) software. This requires advanced experience with PHP, Javascript and SQL.
- Coding of algorithms for the processing of near infrared and chemical data with the target that the requirements and deliverables of our EU research project are achieved on time.
Click here for further details.
November 7th 2017
Our November newsletter is now out! It includes an article on how analysis can help develop a more efficient biomass pretreatment process as well as details on new analysis packages and Celignis's biomass research projects.
Click here to read November's newsletter.
November Newsletter Released
Our November newsletter is now out! It includes an article on how analysis can help develop a more efficient biomass pretreatment process as well as details on new analysis packages and Celignis's biomass research projects.
Click here to read November's newsletter.
November 6th 2017
Click here for an interview with Celignis Lab Analyst Chris Comerford.
Employee Spotlight: Chris Comerford
Click here for an interview with Celignis Lab Analyst Chris Comerford.
November 5th 2017
Biomass pretreatment is a crucial step in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to advanced biofuels and chemicals. This article describes why pretreatment is needed, the various technologies available, and how Celignis's analytical techniques can provide crucial data on the efficiency of conversion.
New Article on Biomass Pretreatment
Biomass pretreatment is a crucial step in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to advanced biofuels and chemicals. This article describes why pretreatment is needed, the various technologies available, and how Celignis's analytical techniques can provide crucial data on the efficiency of conversion.
September 20th 2017
We will have an exhibition booth for the 2nd Biomass Expo which is taking place at the International Exhibition Centre in Osaka, Japan, between September 20-22 as part of the World Smart Energy Week.
Celignis manager Daniel Hayes will be representing the company. If you are also attending please feel free to meet him at our booth.
We are Exhibiting at the Biomass Expo in Osaka, Japan
We will have an exhibition booth for the 2nd Biomass Expo which is taking place at the International Exhibition Centre in Osaka, Japan, between September 20-22 as part of the World Smart Energy Week.
Celignis manager Daniel Hayes will be representing the company. If you are also attending please feel free to meet him at our booth.
September 14th 2017
RWM is an exhibition and networking event for the Waste, Energy, Recycling and Water sectors. It is being held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, from Sept 12-14.
It is one of four co-located events, with the others covering Energy, Renewables, and Water.
Celignis manager Dr Daniel Hayes will be attending the event on Sept 14th. If you are also there on that day and would like to meet him, please let us know.
Celignis Presence at RWM 2017
RWM is an exhibition and networking event for the Waste, Energy, Recycling and Water sectors. It is being held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, from Sept 12-14.
It is one of four co-located events, with the others covering Energy, Renewables, and Water.
Celignis manager Dr Daniel Hayes will be attending the event on Sept 14th. If you are also there on that day and would like to meet him, please let us know.
July 31st 2017
We are recruiting for a person who will be responsible for the collation of literature data for an EU-funded research project that we will soon be starting.
This person will also be responsible for expanding our level of participation in future research project proposals and increasing the number of customers for our analytical services.
Click here for further details.
THIS POSITION HAS NOW BEEN FILLED
We are Hiring!
We are recruiting for a person who will be responsible for the collation of literature data for an EU-funded research project that we will soon be starting.
This person will also be responsible for expanding our level of participation in future research project proposals and increasing the number of customers for our analytical services.
Click here for further details.
THIS POSITION HAS NOW BEEN FILLED
April 28th 2017
Daniel Hayes is today at the info day for the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking. The event is located in the Alcide De Gaspari Room in the Charlemagne Building of the European Commission, which is situated at Rue de la Loi 170, 1040 Brussels.
If you are also attending this event and would like to meet Daniel Hayes then please get in touch by email or by phone at (+353) 89 455 5582.
We are at the BBI Info Day in Brussels
Daniel Hayes is today at the info day for the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking. The event is located in the Alcide De Gaspari Room in the Charlemagne Building of the European Commission, which is situated at Rue de la Loi 170, 1040 Brussels.
If you are also attending this event and would like to meet Daniel Hayes then please get in touch by email or by phone at (+353) 89 455 5582.
April 25th 2017
Celignis's Daniel Hayes will today be attending an event organised by Innovate UK's Knowledge Transfer Network. The title of the meeting is 'Low Carbon Chemical Feedstocks for a Bioeconomy' and it will bring together experts from a cross-section of industry, together with innovators and researchers to discuss the transition towards a low-carbon bioeconomy. The event is taking place at The Queens Hotel in City Square, Leeds, UK.
Celignis at KTN Networking Event in Leeds
Celignis's Daniel Hayes will today be attending an event organised by Innovate UK's Knowledge Transfer Network. The title of the meeting is 'Low Carbon Chemical Feedstocks for a Bioeconomy' and it will bring together experts from a cross-section of industry, together with innovators and researchers to discuss the transition towards a low-carbon bioeconomy. The event is taking place at The Queens Hotel in City Square, Leeds, UK.
April 10th 2017
We are pleased to announce that Celignis has been shortlisted in four categories at the Irish Laboratory Awards. These categories are listed below:
The winners will be revealed at the gala awards luncheon on the afternoon of Thursday, May 25th at The Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin.
We are Shortlisted for 4 Irish Lab Awards!
We are pleased to announce that Celignis has been shortlisted in four categories at the Irish Laboratory Awards. These categories are listed below:
- Agricultural Laboratory of the Year.
- Calibration or Testing Laboratory of the Year.
- Start-up Laboratory of the Year.
- Innovation of the Year Award.
The winners will be revealed at the gala awards luncheon on the afternoon of Thursday, May 25th at The Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin.
March 30th 2017
A new peer-reviewed article by Celignis founder Daniel Hayes has been published. It concerns the use of our NIR models to analyse the lignocellulosic composition of a variety of papers and cardboards.
The article is published in the Faraday Discussions journal and Daniel Hayes will present this work, along with additional information concerning the Celignis NIR models, at the Faraday Discussions conference, entitled "Bio-resources: feeding a sustainable chemical industry", being held in London between June 19-21.
The abstract of the paper is copied below and please click here to access the full article.
Abstract:
Analytical data and quantitative near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy models for various lignocellulosic components (including Klason lignin and the constituent sugars glucose, xylose, mannose, arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose), ash, and ethanol-soluble extractives, were obtained for 53 samples of paper and cardboard. These samples were mostly the type of materials typically found in domestic wastes (e.g. newspapers, printing paper, glossy papers, food packaging). A number of the samples (48) were obtained by separating a sample, after milling, into two particle size fractions. It was found that the fractions containing the smaller particles typically had higher ash and Klason lignin contents and lower glucose and xylose contents that the larger particle size fractions. Nevertheless, all of the sample types had attractive total sugars contents (>50%) indicating that these could be suitable feedstocks for the production of biofuels and chemicals in hydrolysis-based biorefining technologies. NIR models of a high predictive accuracy (R2 of > 0.9 for the independent validation set) were obtained for total sugars, glucose, xylose, Klason lignin, and ash and with values for the Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP) of 2.36%, 2.64%, 0.56%, 1.98%, and 4.87%, respectively. Good NIR models (R2 of > 0.8) were also obtained for mannose, arabinose, and galactose. These results suggest that NIR is a suitable method for the rapid, low-cost, analysis of the major lignocellulosic components of waste paper/cardboard samples.
New Journal Publication by Celignis
A new peer-reviewed article by Celignis founder Daniel Hayes has been published. It concerns the use of our NIR models to analyse the lignocellulosic composition of a variety of papers and cardboards.
The article is published in the Faraday Discussions journal and Daniel Hayes will present this work, along with additional information concerning the Celignis NIR models, at the Faraday Discussions conference, entitled "Bio-resources: feeding a sustainable chemical industry", being held in London between June 19-21.
The abstract of the paper is copied below and please click here to access the full article.
Abstract:
Analytical data and quantitative near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy models for various lignocellulosic components (including Klason lignin and the constituent sugars glucose, xylose, mannose, arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose), ash, and ethanol-soluble extractives, were obtained for 53 samples of paper and cardboard. These samples were mostly the type of materials typically found in domestic wastes (e.g. newspapers, printing paper, glossy papers, food packaging). A number of the samples (48) were obtained by separating a sample, after milling, into two particle size fractions. It was found that the fractions containing the smaller particles typically had higher ash and Klason lignin contents and lower glucose and xylose contents that the larger particle size fractions. Nevertheless, all of the sample types had attractive total sugars contents (>50%) indicating that these could be suitable feedstocks for the production of biofuels and chemicals in hydrolysis-based biorefining technologies. NIR models of a high predictive accuracy (R2 of > 0.9 for the independent validation set) were obtained for total sugars, glucose, xylose, Klason lignin, and ash and with values for the Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP) of 2.36%, 2.64%, 0.56%, 1.98%, and 4.87%, respectively. Good NIR models (R2 of > 0.8) were also obtained for mannose, arabinose, and galactose. These results suggest that NIR is a suitable method for the rapid, low-cost, analysis of the major lignocellulosic components of waste paper/cardboard samples.
March 13th 2017
We have added another analyte to our analytical services. We can now determine the chlorine content of biomass samples. Our analysis protocol follows standard method EN 15289:2011 (Solid biofuels - Determination of total content of sulfur and chlorine). This method invovles the digestion of the sample in our bomb calorimeter followed by a rinsing of the bomb and analysis of these washings using our ion chromatography system.
We have tested our protocols with standard reference materials and found our results to be in very close agreement with the certified values. Our method is suitable for samples with low ppm chlorine contents and also those with much higher amounts of chlorine.
Currently, you can determine the chlorine content of biomass using analysis package P35 - Chlorine and Sulphur or using our comprehensive analysis package P40 - Combustion Package which also involves proximate and ultimate analysis of the sample as well as a determination of its heating value.
Click here to read more about our analysis of chlorine.
We Now Determine Chlorine Content
We have added another analyte to our analytical services. We can now determine the chlorine content of biomass samples. Our analysis protocol follows standard method EN 15289:2011 (Solid biofuels - Determination of total content of sulfur and chlorine). This method invovles the digestion of the sample in our bomb calorimeter followed by a rinsing of the bomb and analysis of these washings using our ion chromatography system.
We have tested our protocols with standard reference materials and found our results to be in very close agreement with the certified values. Our method is suitable for samples with low ppm chlorine contents and also those with much higher amounts of chlorine.
Currently, you can determine the chlorine content of biomass using analysis package P35 - Chlorine and Sulphur or using our comprehensive analysis package P40 - Combustion Package which also involves proximate and ultimate analysis of the sample as well as a determination of its heating value.
Click here to read more about our analysis of chlorine.
January 26th 2017
Celignis CEO Daniel Hayes will today give a presentation on Celignis at the 3rd Annual Conference of The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) which takes place at The University of Strathclyde's Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) in Glasgow.
Daniel's presentation will be in the "Member's Showcase' as part of the "Impact" session of the conference.
If you are also attending the conference then you are welcome to have a chat with either Daniel or Celignis's Laboratory Analyst Christopher Comerford, who will also be attending.
Presentation at IBioIC Conference
Celignis CEO Daniel Hayes will today give a presentation on Celignis at the 3rd Annual Conference of The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) which takes place at The University of Strathclyde's Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) in Glasgow.
Daniel's presentation will be in the "Member's Showcase' as part of the "Impact" session of the conference.
If you are also attending the conference then you are welcome to have a chat with either Daniel or Celignis's Laboratory Analyst Christopher Comerford, who will also be attending.