28 March 2012
About Reverdia
Reverdia,
the joint venture between
Royal DSM and Roquette Freres,
has been formally approved by the relevant regulatory authorities.
Reverdia aims to build on its emerging leadership position for
bio-based succinic acid through its proprietary production technology
and by ensuring reliable supply to meet the evolving market demands.
Strength of partners
Reverdia combines DSM's expertise in Material Sciences, and biotechnology
together with Roquette's know-how in plant-based raw material processing.
About Bio-based succinic acid
Bio-based succinic acid is derived from non-fossil feedstock and
produced with sustainable production technologies
that minimize carbon footprint.
It is a building block that can be used in the manufacture of
polymers, resins and many other products.
Key applications include footwear, packaging and paints
First in the world for large scale production facility
Reverdia will be the first in the world to have a large scale facility for
the commercial production of bio-based succinic acid.
It will benefit from the best and most sustainable fermentation technology
to produce bio-based succinic acid, which has been in development since 2008.
Production facility
The new facility, scheduled to be operational by the end of Q3 2012
will have a capacity of about 10,000 MT and is located on
the Roquette site in Cassano Spinola, Italy.
The proximity to the port of Genoa ensures efficient global logistics.
It will be fully backward-integrated with on-site production of
the starch feedstock and will employ co-generation of steam and power
as well as on-site waste water treatment.
All combined this results in a best-in-class carbon footprint for Reverdia's
bio-succinic acid.
Reverdia's yeast technology
Reverdia bio-based succinic acid is produced with the most advanced and
sustainable technology.
Reverdia developed a unique proprietary yeast technology
to convert sugars into succinic acid.
The novel process is simple, stable, very energy efficient and
generates less waste and impurities than bacteria-based technologies
which are currently being used in alternative routes for bio-based succinic acid.
A demonstration plant on the Roquett site in Lestrem, France
has been operational since January 2010 to
validate and optimize the technology as well as to
provide pre-commercial samples for appliction development.
The demonstration plant provided an excellent opportunity to gain
technical experience on the production process of bio-based succinic acid.
Combined with the expertise Reverdia has with the scales-up of process and
installations, Reverdia expect a smooth start-up of commercial plant
in Cassaro.
Competitors : Petroleum-based products
Reverdia's bio-based succinic acid will provide the impetus for
an entire range of more renewable, and more sustainable products.
At a larger commercial scale, Reverdia's bio-based succinic acid is
envisioned to be able to compete with both
petrochemical-based succinic acid and
petrochemical-based adipic acid.
USE and Applications
While existing markets for chemically produced succinic acid
include pharmacueticals, food, coatings and pigments.
Reverdia believes that the availability of competitive,
high quality and sustainable succinic acid will drive the
emergence of new applications
In addtion to economic competitiveness, the product's unique
sustainablility profile will enable possible applications such as
* Polyester polyols for polyurethanes,
* Polybutylene succinate (PBS) plasticizers,
* 1,4 butanediol
* composite and coating resins
serving end markets as diverse as
* packaging
* footwear
* elastane clothing
* shopping bags
* mulch films
* automotive interiors and more.
