Evonik headquarters in Germany.
MINNEAPOLIS, US: Evonik Industries’ Catalysts Business Line and BioAmber Inc have agreed on a long term co-operation for development and manufacturing of catalysts for making BDO (1,4- butanediol), THF (tetrahydrofurane) and GBL (gamma–butyrolactone) from bio-based succinic acid. The global market for these products currently made from petrochemicals is $4 billion.
BioAmber is a leading manufacturer of bio-succinic acid from renewable feedstock. Also BioAmber and Evonik have started to develop a new generation of BDO catalysts. BioAmber operates the world’s only dedicated production plant for bio-succinic acid in Pomacle, France with a 350,000 litre commercial scale fermenter. “Through our collaboration with Evonik, we can rapidly bring competitive BDO and THF technology to the market. Also with Evonik’s caliber we can both optimize and manufacture our immediate catalyst needs and develop a new generation of catalysts,” said Jean-Francois Huc, CEO, BioAmber.
“Chemicals from renewable feedstock for our daily life products become increasingly important as replacements for crude oil based products,” explained Dr Wilfried Eul, Senior Vice President and Head of Evonik’s Catalysts Business Line.
“The manufacturing of renewable chemicals often entails biotechnological steps and catalytic conversion steps. Catalysts are not off-the-rack products; they need to be specially tailored to every individual synthesis reaction and process condition. Evonik is proud to innovate with BioAmber in the bio-based succinic acid field, supporting our growth strategy based on resource efficiency,” added Eul.
© WOC News