Minneapolis, Minnesota -- Bio-succinic acid producer BioAmber plans to build a 100kT/year bio-1,4-butanediol (BDO) plant in North America in 2017 under a take-or-pay contract with Vinmar International.
BioAmber has agreed to exclusively sell all of the bio-BDO produced at the new plant to the privately-held Houston-based company Vinmar for 15 years.
Bioamber said this helps its diversification along the value chain and that the most important aspect comes from BDO being downstream from succinic acid. The deal “represents the next stage of BioAmber's growth plan and diversifies its revenue stream from its Sarnia plant” solely, it added.
As reported in Urethanes Technology International magazine in March 2012, BioAmber scaled up its DuPont-licensed hydrogenation catalyst technology to convert multi-tonne quantities of bio-succinic acid into additives including 100% bio-based BDO.
Within months of that announcement, BioAmber and Evonik joined forces to develop and manufacture catalysts for BDO and other chemicals.
BioAmber’s bio-succinic acid, made from renewable feedstock, can be used in products currently made from petrochemicals. BDO is a suitable additive in a range of applications including polymers, paints, adhesives and solvents.
