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NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 1 of 8
Bio-based Products
Highlights
Page 2 Markets News Round-up
Page 2 Patents News Round-up
Page 3 Platform Chemicals News
Round-up
Page 5 Bioplastics News Round-up
Page 7 Commodity Prices
Page 7 Events
NNFCC Market Review Issue One, April 2012
ach month we review the latest
announcements and news from
across the global bio-based
chemicals and materials sector for our
business members.
Foreword
Welcome to the launch issue of our
new market review. This month we have
seen major progress in the
development of new markets for bio-
based products and the trends suggest
the bioplastics market is likely to triple
over the next three years.
As more biopolymer production
facilities are due to begin commercial
operations in 2012, it is evident we have
reached a tipping point in the
commercialisation of bioplastics.
Much of the focus of current
development is in the Americas and
Europe, especially in countries like Italy
where tax breaks are being used to
promote the use of compostable
plastic bags.
But looking into the future it will be
developing markets like Asia which are
likely to be the most attractive to new
investment.
A number of bioplastic companies are
already investing in this emerging
market, including NatureWorks who
have recently announced plans for a
polylactic acid plant in Thailand which
could be online by 2015 but it is likely to
be the first of many new facilities in the
area over the next decade.
Read on to find out more.
E
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 2 of 8
Markets
Source: ICIS
Global demand for bioplastics
expected to triple by 2015
By 2015, global demand for biodegradables
and bio-based plastics will more than triple to
exceed 1 million tonnes and be worth
$2.9billion (€2.1billion), say the Freedonia
Group.
Rising petroleum costs will allow some
bioplastic resins to reach price parity with
conventional plastics.
Excellent growth is projected for the two
leading biodegradable plastics, starch-based
resins and polylactic acid (PLA), which are
expected to more than double in demand
through 2015. Polyhydroxy-alkanoate (PHA)
resins, which are now entering the
commercial market, are expected to show
the greatest gains.
Click here for more information.
Glycos Biotechnologies see Asian
market as major growth area for high-
value speciality chemicals
Glycos Biotechnologies have announced
what they see as the major future trends in
renewable chemicals. Topping the list they
said Asian markets will become attractive
investment targets, overtaking the US and
South America as the largest growth areas.
In addition, Glycos said that demand for new
bio-based chemicals, such as synthetic
rubber, will continue to emerge and the
performance and economic advantages of
non-sugar feedstocks will become
increasingly apparent to project developers
and investment managers.
Click here for more information.
Patents
Latest on the Gevo-Butamax
isobutanol patent infringement clash
At the start of March, renewable chemical
and fuels company Gevo defeated a patent
infringement claim from Butamax – a joint
venture between BP and DuPont – relating to
their isobutanol-producing yeast.
Less than a week later, Butamax filed a new
lawsuit against Gevo for infringing their patent
relating to the use of recombinant KARI
enzymes.
The case is the latest in a long standing battle
between the companies which goes back to
2011, when Butamax filed suit against Gevo
for two patent infringements – the trial for
these cases is set for April 2013.
Click here and here for more information.
Metabolix grants patent license to
NatureWorks for new biopolymer
blends
Metabolix have announced they have
granted a non-exclusive license to
NatureWorks for the US patent No. 5,883,199,
titled "Polylactic Acid-based Blends," to make,
use and sell blends of polylactic acid (PLA)
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 3 of 8
with certain other polymers, including
polybutylene succinic polymers (PBS).
The deal is welcome news for Metabolix
following the recent announcement that
chemical giants ADM would be cutting ties
with the company.
Click here for more information.
Myriant develops proprietary process
to produce bio-acrylic acid
Myriant has filed for patent protection with
the United States Patent and Trademark
Office for its bio-acrylic acid process and will
immediately initiate scale-up activities to
provide product samples to customers in the
second half of 2012.
Based on its progress to-date, Myriant expects
that its bio-acrylic acid product will be cost
competitive, compared to petroleum-based
acrylic acid without the need for government
subsidies or green premiums.
Click here for more information.
Platform Chemicals
NatureWorks and BioAmber form joint
venture to commercialise polymers
made from bio-based succinic acid
Under the joint venture, NatureWorks plans to
commercialise a new family of compounded
Ingeo™ resin grades made using BioAmber’s
PLA/PBS compounding technology, and is
immediately offering samples of
developmental grades aimed at
thermoforming and injection-moulding
processes.
This new compounded resins are designed for
food service ware applications and designed
to expand the Ingeo property range in terms
of flexibility, toughness, heat resistance, and
drop-in processability on existing
manufacturing equipment.
Click here for more information.
OPXBIO achieves bio-based acrylic
acid production milestone
OPX Biotechnologies Inc. have announced
that they have successfully demonstrated
their fermentation process for bio-based
acrylic acid (or BioAcrylic) at the 3,000-liter
scale.
OPXBIO is working with The Dow Chemical
Company to bring BioAcrylic into the $10-
billion market for acrylic used in products such
as diapers, detergents, paints and adhesives.
Click here for more information.
Amyris secures $83.7 million in
additional financing
Renewable chemical and fuel company
Amyris have sold $58.7 million of shares in a
private placement and agreed to sell $25
million in notes to boost its working capital.
One of the biggest investors was Biolding
Investment, a company owned by Qatar’s
former Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin
Khalifa Al-Thani.
Biolding Investment agreed to purchase $15
million of additional common stock on the
provision that Amyris completes its
commercial-scale Paraíso Bioenergia SA
Biofene™ production facility plant in Brazil by
March 2013.
Click here for more information.
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 4 of 8
BioAmber scales up production of
bio-based 1,4 butanediol
BioAmber has scaled up its hydrogenation
catalyst technology under license from
DuPont and converted multi-ton quantities of
bio-succinic acid into 100% bio-based 1,4-
butanediol (1,4-BDO), tetrahydrofuran (THF)
and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL).
BioAmber believes the global addressable
market for these products exceeds $4 billion,
and that they are principally used to make
polyesters, polyurethanes, spandex and
biodegradable plastics.
Click here for more information.
LANXESS invest $10 million in
BioAmber
BioAmber has completed its latest round of
financing with net proceeds of $30 million;
including a $10 million investment with
specialty chemicals company LANXESS.
The investment by LANXESS is the culmination
of a strategic collaboration in the field of
renewable, phthalate-free plasticizers.
BioAmber and LANXESS are jointly developing
phthalate-free plasticizers and expect to
begin sampling succinic-based plasticizers
later in 2012.
The companies are also collaborating in
Sarnia, Ontario, on the establishment of
BioAmber’s first world-scale bio-succinic acid
manufacturing facility. LANXESS is owner of
the site and will provide BioAmber with utilities
and services needed to operate the facility.
Click here for more information.
Mitsubishi Chemical signs BDO limited
exclusivity agreement
Genomatica announced that Mitsubishi
Chemical Corporation has signed an
agreement to exclusively negotiate definitive
agreements for a joint commercial operation
in Asia for the production of bio-based 1,4
butanediol (BDO) using Genomatica’s
process technology.
Mitsubishi has made an up-front payment to
Genomatica of $3.5 million while the
companies continue to work toward
completing their definitive agreements, some
or all of which may be repaid upon certain
conditions.
The agreement continues until 30 June 2012
or the date the companies execute a
definitive agreement.
Click here for more information.
GuangXi Guangwei Chemical to
produce bio-based PVA
GuangXi Guangwei Chemical have
launched a new production line of bio-based
PVA with a capacity of 50,000 metric tons per
year to satisfy the growing market for
renewable PVA in Asia.
PVA is used in a range of applications
including paper adhesive, packaging films
and bio lubricants.
Click here for more information.
Royal DSM and Roquette Frères bio-
based succinic acid joint venture
approved
Reverdia, the joint venture between Royal
DSM and Roquette Frères, 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. Reverdia
combines DSM’s expertise in Materials
Sciences, and biotechnology together with
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 5 of 8
Roquette’s know-how in plant-based raw
material processing.
Click here for more information.
Rivertop Renewables begins
advanced testing of green chemicals
with commercial production
expected later in the year
In March US chemical company Rivertop
Renewables announced that they have
successfully scaled up their patented
glucarate manufacturing technology.
Rivertop has contracted DTI, a custom
manufacturer of fine and speciality chemical
products based in Virginia (US), to pilot the
manufacture of Rivertop’s glucarate-based
products.
Product made in this initial phase of contract
manufacturing will be used to fulfil Rivertop’s
commercial contracts for bio-based corrosion
inhibitors.
Rivertop and DTI hope to scale capacity up
to 10 million pounds of contract-
manufactured product per year in the fourth
quarter of 2012.
Click here for more information.
Ajinomoto and Toray to develop bio-
based nylon
Ajinomoto and Toray Industries have entered
into an agreement to begin joint research for
manufacturing the nylon raw material 1,5-
pentanediamine (1,5-PD) from the amino
acid lysine produced from plant materials by
Ajinomoto using fermentation technology,
and commercialising a bio-based nylon
made from this substance.
Click here for more information.
Bioplastics
Avantium and Danone to develop
next-generation bioplastic
Following its agreement with Coca-Cola last
year, Avantium has now signed a Joint
Venture Agreement for the development of
Poly-ethylene-furanoate (PEF) bottles with
Danone – makers of evian and volvic – and
number two in the worldwide bottled water
business.
In December 2011, Avantium opened its pilot
plant in Geleen, the Netherlands, with the
capacity to produce 40 tonnes of PEF for
application development.
Avantium hopes to license its YXY technology
to enable large scale, world-wide production
and use of its bio-sourced plastic materials.
Click here for more information.
DaniMer Scientific and Myriant
announce strategic alliance to
develop bio-based polymers
DaniMer Scientific and Myriant have
announced that the companies have formed
a strategic alliance focused on delivering
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 6 of 8
innovative, cost-effective bio-based materials
to the marketplace.
As part of the strategic alliance, DaniMer will
utilize Myriant’s bio-succinic acid for the
production of high-performance, bio-based
polymers used to make a broad range of
sustainable, eco-friendly products.
Click here for more information.
Roquette industrial unit for Gaialene®
bioplastic production fully operational
Starch producers Roquette have successfully
launched their first industrial production unit
for Gaialene® bio-based plastics at its main
site in Lestrem, France.
The unit which has an annual capacity of
25,000 tons was finished at the end of 2011
and has now started commercial operations.
The unit is expected to serve the growing
European market for bio-based products.
Click here for more information.
Evonik polyamides certified “bio-
based”
The VESTAMID® Terra family of polyamides
from Evonik Industries has been certified as
"bio-based" by independent institutes. The
bio-based components have been certified
per DIN ISO 10694; 1996-08 and by the USDA’s
Biopreferred® program. These official
laboratories used C14 trace carbon analytics
to verify that the carbon in these products
come from biomass rather than petroleum.
VESTAMID® Terra polymers are partially or
entirely based on renewable feedstocks. The
starting material is the castor bean (Ricinus
communis) and its oil derivatives, which are
synthesised into monomers that form the basis
of the VESTAMID® Terra product range.
Click here for more information.
Yulex and Cooper Tire to develop bio-
based rubber tyres
US natural rubber specialists Yulex and tyre
manufacturers Cooper Tire have signed a
joint venture to develop tyre's made from a
desert shrub, native to south west America,
known as Guayule.
Under the agreement, Cooper will provide
advanced polymer and materials science
expertise and share its design, development
and testing capabilities.
Yulex will provide experience with the
development and production of advanced
engineered guayule-based biopolymers.
Click here for more information.
New nano-catalyst could be biggest
bioplastic breakthrough in three
decades
A new nano-catalyst being developed by
chemical giants Dow could help the
company commercialise a process for
making traditional plastics from biomass,
according to research published in the
journal Science.
The new catalyst is made of tiny spheres of
iron and could significantly increase the
efficiency of converting synthesis gas to lower
olefins; key building blocks for manufacturing
plastics, cosmetics and even
pharmaceuticals.
The new, improved iron-based catalyst
yielded about 50 per cent more lower olefins
than conventional catalysts. Dow say they
are still refining the process further and
commercial production could yet be 5 to 10
years away.
Click here for more information.
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 7 of 8
Commodity Prices
Item Price, US$ (Feb 07) Price, US$ (Feb 12) % Price Increase
Crude oil (petroleum, barrel) 57.58 ↑ 112.71 95.75
Maize (corn, metric ton) 177.35 ↑ 279.71 57.72
Rapeseed oil (metric ton) 864.93 ↑ 1300.00 49.98
Soybean oil (metric ton) 664.88 ↑ 1170.00 76.00
Sugar (pound) 0.1057 ↑ 0.2406 127.63
Ethanol (gallon) 2.12 ↓ 2.20 3.77 For details on indexes please see www.indexmundi.com/commodities
Crude Oil (petroleum), simple average of three spot prices; Dated Brent, West Texas Intermediate,
and the Dubai Fateh. Ethanol details available at www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/66.html
Arrows indicate rise (↑) or fall (↓) from previous month.
For details on the nature of these commodities please see www.indexmundi.com/commodities
Events
Processing Lignocellulosic Biomass
Conference, 18 April 2012 in
Cleveland, UK www.soci.org/events
The main focus of this event is on the UK role
for biomass conversion, and the business and
commercial implications of the technologies
being developed
The main focus of this event is on the UK role
for biomass conversion, and the business and
commercial implications of the technologies
being developed.
NNFCC members can benefit from up to £50
off the standard delegate rate to this event.
Email [email protected] to receive the
special promotional code.
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Agricultural Raw
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Crude Oil (Petroleum)
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 8 of 8
Biopolymer World Congress, 23-24
April 2012 in Mestre-Venice, Italy www.biopolymerworld.com
This international forum tackles the latest
advancements in the Biopolymer industry
while addressing the entire value chain. The
Congress focuses on the modern challenges
facing the biopolymer and bio-based
chemicals industry, ranging from research
breakthroughs to end-of-life recovery.
The diverse assembly of attendees will
include: business executives, research &
development managers, investors, policy
makers, brand owners, researchers, scientists
and engineers from all over the globe.
NNFCC members receive a 10 per cent
discount off the usual delegate rates. Email
[email protected] to receive
the special promotional code.
Life Cycle Assessment Workshops, 16-
17 May 2012 in York, UK www.nnfcc.co.uk/events
Two workshops have been developed to
provide a basic understanding of LCA and
how to set about doing one.
The first workshop covers the principles of
LCA, requirements, problems and issues. The
second provides a ‘hands on’ opportunity to
learn to carry out an LCA. The workshops can
be taken together or separately.
8th International Conference on
Renewable Resources & Biorefineries,
4-6 June 2012 in Toulouse, France www.rrbconference.com
As a result of the growing impact of
renewable resources, this conference aims at
bringing together academic researchers,
industrial experts, policymakers and venture
capital providers to discuss the challenges
emerging from the transition towards a bio-
based economy and to present new
developments in this area.
7th European Bioplastics Conference,
6-7 Nov 2012 in Berlin, Germany en.european-bioplastics.org
The annual European Bioplastics Conference
offers a unique information platform for
industry trends and innovations in material
and application development.
Credits and Disclaimer NNFCC Market Review is edited by Dr Matthew Aylott for NNFCC members. Feedback is welcome.
The Review has been compiled in good faith and NNFCC does not accept responsibility for any
inaccuracies or the products or services shown.
NNFCC, Biocentre, Phone: +44 (0)1904 435182
York Science Park, Fax: +44 (0)1904 435345
Innovation Way, E: [email protected]
Heslington, York, Web: www.nnfcc.co.uk
YO10 5DG.
