My First Visit to the World of Tomorrow: Covestro's Pilot Plant for biobased Aniline

My First Visit to the World of Tomorrow: Covestro's Pilot Plant for biobased Aniline

They say the future is uncertain. But when I first entered Covestro's pilot plant for bio-based aniline in Leverkusen, I was pretty sure: The future is bio-based - and it looks damn complex. I, a Social Media Manager at Covestro and rarely without a laptop or phone, was armed with a bag of wood chips and a healthy dose of curiosity, ready to dive into the depths of biotechnology.

My adventure began in the biotech lab. There, Dirk Kreyenschulte, our biotech expert at Covestro, explained to me how bacteria and carbohydrates, found for example in wood chips, corn or green waste, can be used to produce an important precursor for plastics more sustainably. My personal highlight: Looking through the microscope. While observing the bustle, I secretly wondered if the bacteria knew they were little green revolutionaries. I mean, bacteria producing plastics - how cool is that?!

Plant manager Silvan Geara and distillation expert Annika Anheyer then guided me through the pilot plant, which looked so new and advanced that I almost felt like I was in another world. Pipes and cables wherever the eye could see. No chance I could keep an overview here. One must not forget at this point that although I deal with complex subject matters on a textual level every day, I spend most of my working time on a laptop and not in Covestro's labs and plants. So the complex pilot plant was quite a special sight for me too.

When I left the plant, my head was buzzing and I knew it would probably take a few days to process everything I had learned. Such things take time, just like the innovations I got to experience up close today. While we may not yet be ready to insulate our houses with plastic made from sugar, it's only a matter of time before my colleagues make this vision a reality.

I hope you're now eager to watch the report in which I guide you through this exciting world of bio-based aniline. I promise: You don't need any prior knowledge to follow along. And if you do have it, even better!