PORTEFEUILLE

Deforestation problems in tropical countries combined with governing strict regulations on the formaldehyde content of wood panels has resulted to companies searching for alternative materials. NaturLoop aims to boost the availability of sustainable furniture and construction materials with the development of Cocoboard. The biocomposite is made from coconut husk and bio-based adhesive and produced using an innovative production concept that transforms agricultural waste into high performance panels. Cocoboard has superior mechanical properties to commercially available panels due to its 100% bio-based composition, high resistance to wood-decaying insects (termites) and zero formaldehyde emissions (comparable to solid wood), thus, satisfying the highest international requirements in the field. In addition, the involvement and integration of rural farming communities in the value chain, increases the livelihood of coconut farmers. NaturLoop plans to launch a production facility in the Philippines to validate its production technology to service local and export markets.

The purpose of this project is to finalize the key activities required to launch the first Cocoboard factory in the Philippines, including advancing supply chain development, initiating customer prototyping, and finalizing production technology. After a series of initial prototyping tests of lab-size panels, several international brand owners from the furniture sector have continued prototyping with industrial panels, enabled by the initiation of a pilot production. Next, the consolidation method of coconut husks and key requirements to launch a pilot consolidation center has been finalized, including plan-of-action, project partners, and financing. Finally, a state-of-the-art production concept has been validated through a series of trials and a proposal from suppliers has been collected.
NaturLoop is working towards launching a pilot production in Europe with an industrial partner at the end of 2023, while continuing its mission of establishing a factory in the Philippines in 2025. The Philippines factory will operate with an initial capacity of 30’000 m3/year, that will be ramped up to 60’000 m3/year.