Companies to Develop Renewable Chemistry Demo Facility

(USDA.gov)

Genomatica, a developer of chemicals from renewable feedstocks, and Tate & Lyle, a provider of ingredients to the food and beverage industries signed an agreement for the demonstration-scale production of Genomatica’s Bio-BDO. The facility will be part of a Tate & Lyle plant in Decatur, Illinois expected to begin fermentations in the second quarter of 2011.

The chemical BDO (1,4-butanediol) is an intermediate product used to make spandex, automotive plastics, running shoes, and insulation. BDO is normally produced by reacting acetylene, made from oil or natural gas, with formaldehyde. Genomatica, which calls its product Bio-BDO,  has developed a process for making the chemical with cane and beet sugar and corn as feedstocks.

Under the agreement, Genomatica, based in San Diego, California,  will use part of Tate & Lyle’s Decatur plant for demonstration-scale production of the Bio-BDO process. The demonstration plant will be co-located with a corn wet mill owned and operated by Tate & Lyle, which will provide the feedstock.

The Bio-BDO produced at the demonstration facility will be used to make samples for marketing to potential manufacturers seeking sustainably-produced polymers and materials. Expansion and operation of the Tate & Lyle demo facility are expected to create 25 jobs in Decatur.

Read more: Greener Process Developed for Producing Industrial Chemical

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