A South Korean chemical giant is leading a **project to accelerate the commercialization of bio-based 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP)**

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The 25th National \"Safety Production Month\" in 2026: Everyone talks about safety, and everyone knows how to handle emergencies; identifying and addressing risks and hazards. -------------------------------------------------- Recently, the South Korean integrated chemical group NOROO Holdings announced that it has been selected as the lead organizer for the key project at the ** level, titled \"Developing technologies for raw material production and high-value-added products to drive the development of the bio-based polymer market.\" This flagship project is supported by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology Evaluation, under the Ministry of Industry of South Korea. Under this project, NOROO Holdings will take overall control of the entire process from raw material acquisition to production, and carry out mass-production trials for the production of 3-HP (3-hydroxypropionic acid) using waste biomass. The main sub-projects include: ▲ Development of bio-based acrylic polymer materials; ▲ Mass production verification of 3-HP using waste biomass; ▲ Production verification of bio-based acrylics based on 3-HP catalytic reactions. 3-Hydroxypropionic acid has been listed by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of the \"top 12 bio-based platform chemicals.\" It is a widely used chemical intermediate that can be used to produce various high-value products such as cosmetics, industrial coatings, and eco-friendly plastics. As a viable alternative to petroleum-based raw materials, this chemical has also become a key material in the industrial sector’s transition toward carbon neutrality. A key feature of this project is the establishment of a strong industry-academia-research partnership alliance, which brings together top research institutions and industry partners to create a complete innovation pipeline that spans from basic research and advanced process engineering to downstream commercial applications. This project will also bring significant synergies to NOROO’s core business, particularly benefiting its key coating subsidiary, NOROO Coatings Ltd. (which is renowned for its advanced coating and chemical technologies). NOROO Paints is responsible for carrying out the “Demonstration of Synthesizing Bio-based Acrylics through 3-HP Catalytic Conversion” project, and takes the lead in the processes involved in converting this chemical intermediate into industrial raw materials. Through this, the company will focus on researching the use of sustainable bio-based raw materials to replace acrylic acid, which is currently produced entirely through petrochemical processes. The NOROO plan is to apply 3-HP-derived materials in automotive coatings, industrial paints, and building finish coatings, in order to enhance its competitiveness in the rapidly growing market for sustainable, high-end, environmentally friendly, and high-performance materials.