Issue 02/2019

News
daily upated news at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
DSM and Roquette to dissolve Reverdia,
reframe relationship
DSM and Roquette are taking the next step in biobased
succinic acid, as the companies recently announced.
Following the successful production of bio-succinic acid
under the trademark Biosuccinium since 2012, Reverdia’s
parent companies — Royal DSM, a global science-based
company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, and
Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients for Food,
Nutrition and Health markets, — have decided on a strategic
shift in the continuing operations of their joint venture.
Effective 1 April 2019, the joint venture Reverdia will
be dissolved and the partners will transfer the rights and
obligations related to Reverdia’s Biosuccinium plant in
Cassano, Italy to Roquette. Under a non-exclusive license
from DSM, Roquette will operate the plant and continue
serving customers of Biosuccinium. Customer service, order
processing, and marketing and sales will be integrated into
Roquette’s existing business to ensure a smooth transition.
DSM, the original developer of the Biosuccinium technology,
will assume the role of exclusive licensor, in line with its
business model in this field.
Atul Thakrar, President of Biobased Products and Services
at DSM says: “The Reverdia joint venture has proven
Biosuccinium technology to be the most sustainable and
competitive bio-succinic acid on the market today. We have
gone well beyond the start-up phase and the Biosuccinium
brand will continue to grow under the leadership of our
partner Roquette. This is an example of DSM doing what it
does best — establishing market-leading technologies and
commercializing them.”
“After the success of the collaboration with DSM through
the joint venture, we will integrate the Biosuccinium product
line within our global business organisation. Our sales force
will continue to support our customers’ growth,” says Bruno
Plancke, Vice President of the Industry Global Business Unit
at Roquette.
DSM, the original developer of the Biosuccinium technology,
will become the exclusive licensor to strategic customers
and other third parties interested in the integration of the
Biosuccinium production process into their value chains.
Bio-succinic acid is a platform molecule with applications
in a range of large-volume markets. DSM’s technology has
matured to a point where the roll-out potential is significant
enough to warrant a focused effort on licensing. MT
www.reverdia.com
Virent & partners:
biobased paraxylene
BP, Virent Inc. and Johnson Matthey (JM) have
signed an agreement that will further advance the
commercialisation of Virent’s Bioforming® process for
production of bio-paraxylene (PX), a key raw material for
the production of 100 % biobased PET.
Virent’s Bioforming technology, which is being developed
with JM, produces drop-in reformate product from
renewable sources that can be used to produce renewable
fuels and also processed into lower carbon intensive bio-
PX, the feedstock for bio-purified terephthalic acid (PTA),
using existing technologies.
As part of this agreement, the parties will work together
to commercialise the BioForming technology – BP will
contribute technical resources and has exclusive rights
to negotiate becoming the sole manufacturer of bio-PX
using Virent’s technology.
“We have been working with JM to scale up the
BioForming process for production of renewable fuel and
are very pleased to enter into this agreement with BP
to commercialisethe technology for production of bio-
PX and bio-PTA,” said Dave Kettner, President of Virent.
“This is an indication of the flexibility of the BioForming
technology to produce both bio-fuels and bio-aromatic
chemicals. MT
www.bp.com
Braskem and Haldor
Topsoe: biobased MEG
Braskem and Haldor Topsoe announced today that
they have reached mechanical completion of the
MOSAIK process step of their demonstration plant
that will produce bio-based monoethylene glycol - MEG
- from sugars.
The mechanical completion of this process step is the
first milestone to be achieved by Braskem and Haldor
Topsoe’s partnership to validate the MOSAIK sugar-tobiochemicals
solution for production of cost-competitive
bio-based MEG.
Currently, MEG is made from fossil-based feedstocks,
such as naphtha, gas or coal, and it is a key component
of PET plastic used for food packaging, especially
bottles, and polyester fabrics. The global MEG market
represents a value of 25 billion dollars.
The demonstration plant, located in Lyngby, Denmark,
is an important step towards upscaling the MOSAIK
solution and production at an industrial scale, which is
planned to commence in 2023. The plant demonstrates
all key design features of the technology and can
produce more than 100 tons per year of glycolaldehyde,
which is converted into MEG in the next process step. MT
www.braskem.com | www.topsoe.com
6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/19] Vol. 14