Celtic Renewables pushes for use of bio-based materials in pharma industry
Charlie Blackie-Kelly | October 8, 2025 | News story | Manufacturing and Production | Celtic Renewables, Green Chemicals, sustainability
Celtic Renewables, a Scotland-based producer of sustainable chemicals, is calling for greater adoption of bio-based materials within the pharmaceutical industry to help reduce emissions across supply chains.
Founded in 2012, the company began commercial operations at its Grangemouth biorefinery, near Falkirk, in 2023. It is backed by more than £60m in public and private investment.
Celtic Renewables produces bio-acetone, bio-butanol and bio-ethanol using by-products and waste from industries such as agriculture and food and drink. These bio-based chemicals are chemically identical to their fossil-derived counterparts but offer manufacturers a low-carbon, sustainable alternative.
“Manufacturers have voluntarily set net zero and sustainability targets,” said Mark Simmers, CEO at Celtic Renewables. “But they face the challenge of how to remove from their supply chains ingredients that are currently made from fossil fuels.”
According to the company, the wider use of low-carbon alternatives in pharmaceutical manufacturing could reduce emissions across value chains, supporting corporate sustainability goals and compliance with evolving environmental regulations.
For instance, supply chain emissions accounted for 74% of the NHS Shared Business Services’ total value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to an April 2025 report. The organisation has set targets to cut absolute GHG emissions across its value chain by 37.5% by 2030 and 90% by 2040, compared with 2019 levels.
“Working with pharmaceutical firms to reduce fossil fuel ingredients in their products will help shrink this figure down,” Simmers explained
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