DSM and Roquette to open commercial bio-based succinic acid plant in 2012

Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and the French starch and starch derivatives company Roquette Frères today announce that they will build a commercial scale plant for the production of bio-based succinic acid, the first non-fossil feedstock derived chemical building block that allows customers in the chemical industry to choose a bio-based alternative with a lower eco-footprint for a broad range of applications, from packaging to footwear.

With a capacity of about 10 kilotons per year, the plant will be Europe’s largest bio-based succinic acid facility. It is expected to come on stream in H2 2012 and will be built on the premises of Roquette in Cassano Spinola (Italy). Financial details of the investment will not be disclosed.

Succinic acid is a chemical building block used in the manufacture of polymers, resins, food and pharmaceuticals among other products. Bio-based succinic acid, a renewable and versatile chemical building block, is an alternative to petroleum-derived chemical building blocks such as adipic acid and 1.4-butanediol. As a result of price competiveness and its renewable nature, bio-based succinic acid is addressing a larger market than fossil feedstock based succinic acid.

The commercial scale bio-based succinic acid plant is another important step in the successful cooperation between DSM and Roquette that started in 2008. Early 2010 DSM and Roquette opened a demonstration plant in Lestrem (France), which has been running at full capacity. In 2010 DSM and Roquette also announced their intention to establish a joint venture (which will be carrying out business under the name Reverdia) for their cooperation, subject to regulatory approval.

Please click here to read more about the story from its source. Please note that the NNFCC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.