Houston biomaterials startup taps partner for commercial-scale production

next-gen news

Rheom Materials announced a strategic partnership with Bixby International for the commercial-scale production of its novel biobased material, Shorai. Photo via Rheom

A Houston-based next-gen material startup has revealed a new strategic partnership.

Rheom Materials, formerly known as Bucha Bio, has announced a strategic partnership with thermoplastic extrusion and lamination company Bixby International, which is part of Rheom Material’s goal for commercial-scale production of its novel biobased material, Shorai.

Shorai is a biobased leather alternative that meets criteria for many companies wanting to incorporate sustainable materials. Shorai performs like traditional leather, but offers scalable production at a competitive price point. Extruded as a continuous sheet and having more than 92 percent biobased content, Shorai achieves an 80 percent reduction in carbon footprint compared to synthetic leather, according to Rheom.

Rheom, which is backed by Houston-based New Climate Ventures, will be allowing Bixby International to take a minority ownership stake in Rheom Materials, as part of the deal.

“Partnering with Bixby International enables us to harness their extensive expertise in the extrusion industry and its entire supply chain, facilitating the successful scale-up of Shorai production,” Carolina Amin Ferril, CTO at Rheom Materials, says in a news release. “Their highly competitive and adaptable capabilities will allow us to offer more solutions and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

In late 2024, Rheom Materials started its first pilot-scale trial at the Bixby International facilities with the goal to produce Shorai for prototype samples.

"The scope of what we were doing — both on what raw materials we were using and what we were creating just kept expanding and growing," founder Zimri Hinshaw previously told InnovationMap.

Listen to Hinshaw on the Houston Innovators Podcast episode recorded in October:

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This article originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.

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Lithium refiner expands into Houston with new Energy Corridor office

new to hou

Battery-grade lithium carbonate manufacturer Stardust Power has expanded into Houston’s Energy Corridor, the company tells Energy Capital.

The company’s new office will serve as a project execution hub to support operations and planning for the company’s forthcoming lithium refinery in Muskogee, Oklahoma, according to a news release. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based, publicly traded company says the facility will be one of the largest lithium refining operations in the United States. The refinery is expected to have production capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons per year and seeks to address the critical shortage of U.S. lithium refining capacity.

Battery-grade lithium carbonate is commonly used in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems.

The company says it chose Houston as the location for its new execution hub for its rich history of expertise in engineering, a robust energy infrastructure ecosystem, and access to a leading talent pool for engineering, procurement and construction professionals. The Houston project hub will work closely with the company’s existing office in Oklahoma City.

“The Houston office strengthens our operational footprint at a critical phase of development,” Chris Celano, COO of Stardust Power, said in the release. “By building out a dedicated project management hub in one of the most experienced energy markets in the world, we are positioning the Company for execution as we advance the Muskogee refinery.”

Currently, the Houston office plans to accommodate a workforce of about 20 people with the possibility to add staff upon reaching project milestones, according to a representative from the company.

“This expansion reflects our commitment to deliver domestic, battery-grade lithium that supports U.S. energy security and industrial growth,” Celano added in the release.

In August, Stardust Power secured an offtake agreement to supply up to 20,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate by 2030 from the Muskogee, Oklahoma, refinery to New York-based battery technology company Charge CCCV. Stardust reports that the deal adds to a separate non-binding agreement for up to 25,000 metric tons annually for 10 years with an undisclosed global trading company.

European cleantech company breaks ground on Houston manufacturing site

coming soon

Spanish renewable energy company Power Electronics broke ground on its new 53-acre Houston campus on Sept.24.

The new site is expected to create over 400 local jobs and deliver 40 gigawatts of production capacity per year. The company said in a news release that the campus is expected to be the largest manufacturing site for power conversion systems in the U.S. Power Electronics specializes in solar, energy storage, data centers and electrification technologies.

A completion date and operational start date have not yet been announced.

“For the first time in many years, the United States will be able to meet its growing need for sustainable power generation capacity and energy resilience through local manufacturing, supported by the most advanced technology in the world,” David Salvo, CEO of Power Electronics, said in the news release. “Our [40-gigawatt] Houston Campus will help shape the future of energy and AI growth globally."

Once operational, the manufacturing site will feature two buildings of approximately 150,000 square feet and 700,000 square feet. They will house production, logistics, R&D, corporate offices, training and electronic manufacturing departments.

The company says the Houston campus will be its most automated inverter production site by using advanced technologies in production to streamline day-to-day processes. Inverters convert direct current (DC) electricity that is generated by solar panels and batteries to alternating current (AC) electricity used by electrical grids.

Power Electronics' global headquarters is in Valencia, Spain, with U.S. operations in Houston, Tampa, and Gilbert, Arizona. Its North American headquarters is located at its existing North Houston office on East Airtex Drive. Community Impact News reports that the new manufacturing site is located in the Cy-Fair/Jersey Village area.

Power Electronics shared on LinkedIn that the new Houston campus represents its commitment to its American business and will allow it to serve the market with "greater scale, proximity and local expertise." It currently has more than 116 gigawatts installed in the U.S. and is working toward a global goal of 105 gigawatts of annual global production capacity.

Major oil exporters agree to keep production steady in November 2026

Oil News

Seven major oil-exporting countries agreed Sunday to keep production steady in November at a time when the Iran war has driven the price of benchmark Brent crude oil above $100 a barrel.

The so-called OPEC+ subgroup — Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman — will meet again on November 1 to review conditions in the oil market.

The fighting with Iran, which began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28, has disrupted global oil supplies and driven prices higher.

The group of seven wealthy democracies said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks, starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel.

Diesel prices recently hit record highs in the United States, squeezing farmers, truckers and consumers who depend on the fuel.

The G7 promised a “frontloaded substantial release” of diesel within the next 20 days and the rest over four months.

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