Innovating and Scaling UK Biopolymer Production

Central Plains Group ('CPG') is a vertically integrated potato farming, processing and starch biopolymer business aiming to supply the rapidly expanding global biopolymer markets, through UK-based innovation, processing and manufacturing. CPG has successfully established the first two stages of their vertically integrated strategy, based on our existing bio feedstocks, potatoes and native potato starch.

This project addresses the final stage in the overall strategy, delivering additional value within the UK from our biobased feedstock, producing unique biopolymers for the rapidly growing market.

CPG has developed unique, UK-held IP which enables biopolymer production using lower cost potato starch rather than more expensive modified starch. The range of products that can be derived from these polymers is broad, spanning for example from films used in biodegradable bags to a bio-resin alternative to non-renewable, non-biodegradable and known human carcinogen formaldehyde resins currently used in the production of MDF and particle board.

CPG's innovative development will reduce the costs of products derived from these polymers, and thereby increase their uptake by businesses and consumers alike.

The nearest current state-of-the-art biopolymers use modified starches as the base feedstock for their biopolymer recipes. The modification process is costly in itself and also requires high grade expensive starches as their input. These modified starches are therefore expensive and in short supply.

In contrast, CPG has developed a methodology to combine cheaper base starches in a way that does not require the modification process - the required characteristics/ spec are instead achieved through the precise combination and the unique extrusion methodology. This enables us to use native potato starches from waste and non-food feedstocks as a replacement to traditional modified starches.

This breakthrough drives down the cost of production by as much as 30% versus traditional modified starches, offering the potential both to displace existing biopolymers but also to make a greater degree of substitution of fossil based polymers economically feasible.

This innovative technology, significantly ahead of others currently available, has the power to deliver considerable & sustainable economic impact within a region of the UK that has historically accessed lower levels of investment (Longbridge, Birmingham). Moreover it will make significant contributions to the UK's:

i) **health and wellbeing**, through its biopolymer alternatives to various hazardous polymers currently widely used in UK consumer products; and,

ii) efforts to build a **circular economy** and achieve **Net Zero**, by lowering the cost of biodegradable & renewable alternatives to petrochemical-derived products.