05-10-2026
Meet Aurora Renewable Carbon: turning wood residues into valuable biochemicals
What if wood waste could become the starting point for the next generation of biochemicals? That is the question Aurora Renewable Carbon is working to answer. The young company is turning wood residues into sugars and bio-phenolics, creating new feedstocks and alternatives to fossil-based chemicals.
Aurora recently joined the Planet B.io community, opening its lab and office on 1 September and becoming the first company to move into the recently renovated Food Innovation Center. From its new home in Delft, Aurora is developing novel applications in biotechnology and biomaterials together with its commercial partners.
From wood residues to valuable chemicals
Aurora’s process breaks down the three main components of wood: lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, and separates them into different product streams. The cellulose becomes a sugar stream, while the lignin is converted into bio-phenolics.
The bio-phenolics offer a renewable alternative to conventional phenolics, which are typically produced from crude oil. One application Aurora is already developing is insulation materials. Together with insulation manufacturer Kingspan, the technology has been used to develop insulation foam in which lignin-derived phenolics replace fossil-based raw materials.
For companies looking beyond fossil-based phenolics, sustainability is only one part of the story. Price volatility and security of supply are also important drivers, as are concerns around the toxicity of certain conventional chemicals. “Nature actually already figured this out, how to make these properties available, but in a safe and non-harmful way,” says Bouke Hylkema, CEO of Aurora Renewable Carbon.
The idea builds on almost four decades of work by Aurora’s sister company BTG, which has developed pyrolysis technology and applications for pyrolysis oil. Aurora was established to take one of these applications towards commercialisation and develop new product applications.
A new source of sugars for biotech
The second major opportunity lies in Aurora’s sugar stream. The company is exploring how these sugars can be processed into a form that can be fermented, potentially providing a highly scalable second-generation feedstock for biotechnology. Potential applications include lactic acid, bioethanol and other biomaterials. Aurora is working with research partners including Wageningen University and LNEG in Portugal to evaluate these possibilities.
Rather than developing everything in-house, the company is actively looking for partners with complementary expertise. “We are very much looking for partners to explore different sugar application routes with together,” says Bouke.
That is also where Planet B.io comes in. Aurora brings a potential new feedstock to the ecosystem, while the community offers expertise in fermentation, microorganisms and bioprocessing. “We can basically supply them with feedstock, but first we need to learn from them what is the right way to prepare the feedstock,” Bouke explains.
“We are very much looking for partners to explore different sugar application routes with together.”
Starting in Delft, thinking globally
For Aurora, having its own lab in Delft is an important step in accelerating both its bio-phenolic and sugar development. The company also sees value in Planet B.io’s facilities, analytical services, network and connections to potential partners and investors. “Your facilities are amazing,” says Bouke. “Having these shared lab facilities and offices is very nice for a company of our size and age.”
Looking further ahead, Aurora has ambitious plans. Bouke envisions production locations across different continents, positioned close to local wood residue streams. The long-term goal is an integrated refinery platform that can turn residues into a range of high-value chemical feedstocks. The five-year ambition is substantial: “We should aim to have 100 kilotons of oil processing capacity.”
For now, Aurora’s journey in Delft starts, exploring what can be made when wood residues meet biotechnology, chemistry and the expertise of the Planet B.io community.
Curious to learn more about Aurora?
Get in touch with Aurora to explore collaboration opportunities or discover more about Aurora’s technology and its potential to turn wood residues into valuable biochemicals.