International 
. Basf and Pura, a subsidiary of CSM, announced the start of negotiations to form a joint venture for the production of bio-based succinic acid, an agreement that has been underway since 2009.
The complementary strengths of fermentation and subsequent processes led companies to participate in the development of a sustainable and highly efficient manufacturing process, based on a proprietary microorganism. Strong growth in demand for succinic acid is expected in the coming years, mainly driven by the consumption of bioplastics, chemical intermediates, solvents, polyurethanes and plasticizers.
"Our goal is to be the first commercial producer on the market with a 25,000-tonne capacity production facility in Purac, near Barcelona, Spain, with the intention of starting work in 2013. In addition, we are already planning a world-scale plant with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes to take into account the expected demand growth," said Gerard Hoetmer, CEO of CSM.
The development of the new process combines efficiency with the use of renewable substrates and the fixation of CO2 greenhouse gases during production. This translates into a positive ecological footprint and makes bio-based succinic acid an economically and ecologically attractive alternative to petrochemical substitutes. The microorganism used Basfia succiniciproducens is a natural producer of succinic acid and can process a wide variety of renewable raw materials C3, C5 and C6, including biomass sources.
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