Collaboration marks an important next step toward the construction of ChainCraft’s first-of-a-kind commercial factory in Ter Apelkanaal.
Ter Apel, 26 May 2026 — ChainCraft and its industrial partners are taking an important next step in the realization of ChainCraft’s first commercial factory to produce sustainable fatty acids from agri-food residues. With the official launch of the integrated construction team, ChainCraft Ter Apelkanaal, Visser & Smit Bouw, SPIE, Verwater, Colsen and Andritz/K-Utec are working together on the further engineering and preparation of the first flagship plant (FS1) in Ter Apelkanaal.
The new facility represents an important milestone in ChainCraft’s ambition to enable circular chemistry at industrial scale. The factory will be located next to the production site of Royal Avebe in Ter Apelkanaal and builds on a long-standing collaboration between both parties. By converting local potato sidestreams into high-value fatty acids, the project creates a strong regional and circular value chain. These fatty acids will be applied across a wide range of markets, including flavors & fragrances, food and animal nutrition, home and personal care, as well as a broad range of industrial applications such as lubricants and cooling fluids.
In addition to contributing to the decarbonization of the chemical industry, the project also supports sustainable industrial employment and economic development in the region. With the realization of FS1, the demand for technical and operational talent is expected to increase significantly. Approximately 35 employees are expected to be hired for direct operations, complemented by a broad ecosystem of service providers and contractors involved in both construction and operations. As such, the project contributes not only to industrial sustainability, but also to employment and the development of a new generation of technical professionals in the Northern Netherlands.
This first facility is expected to have a production capacity of approximately 20,000 tonnes of fatty acids per year and contributes to reducing dependency on fossil resources by making these sustainable fatty acids available on an industrial scale. The total investment in the project exceeds €100 million. Construction is scheduled to start in 2026, with the first pile expected to be driven by the end of this year and start-up of operations targeted for early 2028.
Acceleration through integrated collaboration
For the project, ChainCraft has deliberately chosen an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) approach, in which engineering, technology and construction partners collaborate in an integrated manner from the very beginning. This allows design choices, technical optimizations and constructability to be developed and validated in parallel at an early stage.
The ECI methodology helps the project team shorten lead times, reduce failure costs and accelerate the development of a technically and economically feasible design.
“This project demonstrates that complex sustainable industrial facilities can be developed faster and smarter when all parties collaborate from the start,” says Geert van Ek, Project Director at ChainCraft. “By integrating technology, engineering and execution at an early stage, we create a strong foundation for industrial scale-up and successful project realization.”
Broad consortium of industrial partners
Within the project, the primarily regional partners combine expertise across the full industrial value chain. Visser & Smit Bouw is responsible for civil works, paving, piling, foundations and buildings, Verwater Nederland delivers the electrical components, cabling, instrumentation and automation, and SPIE is responsible for piping, tank storage, pumps and steel structures. In addition, Colsen and K-Utec & Andritz supply several process installations that will be integrated by the contractors. KH-Engineering is responsible for the overall design, which has been used by ChainCraft as the basis for tendering and contracting the various work packages.
Two weeks ago, the integrated construction team held its joint kick-off meeting in Ter Apel. During the sessions, the involved partners worked intensively together on the technical scope, optimizations and project planning of the commercial installation. At the same time, building strong collaboration between the partners was a key focus. The kick-off therefore marked not only the official start of the project, but also the beginning of a close integrated team jointly working toward realization of the factory.
With this new facility, ChainCraft reinforces its ambition to realize circular chemistry at industrial scale and contribute to a more sustainable and future-proof chemical industry.
About ChainCraft
ChainCraft is an innovative biotechnology company based in Amsterdam that converts organic residues into high-value, sustainable fatty acids. Through its patented fermentation technology, ChainCraft develops circular alternatives to fossil and palm oil-based chemicals, contributing to the transition toward a circular economy.
