BASF and CSM explore a bio-based succinic acid JV  

BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) and Purac (www.purac.com), a subsidiary of CSM N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.csmglobal.com), today announce the start of negotiations to form a joint venture (JV) for the production of bio-based succinic acid. The companies have been conducting research under a joint development agreement on bio-based succinic acid since 2009. The complementary strengths in fermentation and downstream processing led to the development of a sustainable and highly efficient manufacturing process based on a proprietary microorganism. The demand for succinic acid is anticipated to grow strongly in the next years. Main drivers are expected to be bioplastics, chemical intermediates, solvents, polyurethanes and plasticizers. “We aim to be the first commercial producer in the market with a 25,000-tons capacity fermentation production plant at the Purac site near Barcelona, Spain, with the intention to start up by 2013 at the latest,” says Gerard Hoetmer, CEO of CSM. “In addition, we are already planning a world-scale plant with a capacity of 50,000 tons to account for the expected demand growth. This partnership has enormous potential as it leverages the combined competencies of two leading…