BASF And Purac Slate Big Succinic Acid Plant

BASF and Purac are negotiating a joint venture that will make up to 25,000 metric tons of biobased succinic acid per year at Purac’s fermentation facility near Barcelona. When the plant comes on-line in 2013, the joint venture will be the world’s largest maker of succinic acid via fermentation, the companies say. The two European firms launched a joint development pact in 2009 under which they have been researching biobased production of succinic acid, a four-carbon organic acid with potential applications in bioplastics, polyurethanes, plasticizers, and solvents. They have run several successful production campaigns based on Basfia succiniciproducens, an organism discovered by BASF. The companies are also planning a second facility with 50,000 metric tons of capacity. Although they hope to be the biggest producer, BASF and Purac are relative latecomers to the succinic acid market. Companies such as BioAmber, Myriant Technologies, and Reverdia, a joint venture between DSM and Roquette, are either already producing succinic acid or expect to be making it by 2012.