Industrial biotechnology: Chemical building blocks from renewable resources

Chemical majors are collaborating with biotechnology companies to develop chemicals derived from renewable feedstocks. Most activity is still at the development stage with only a small number of chemicals, such as 1,3-propanediol and lactic acid, being produced at industrial scale. Biobased succinic acid is the latest chemical from renewable feedstocks that is being produced on a larger scale.

The global market for renewable chemicals is anticipated to grow from $3.6 billion today to over $12 billion by 2020, according to Rennovia (Menlo Park, CA), which is targeting production of a suite of chemical products from renewable feedstocks.

… Full text: www.chemweek.com/lab/Industrial-biotechnology-Chemical-building-blocks-from-renewable-resources_54373.html

Tags: biobased economy, sustainability, customer demand, lignocellulosics, statistical undervaluation, Basfi succiniproducens, fermentation, butadiene, bioBDO