Investments

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    Avantium acquires Liquid Light

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    Interesting news from Avantium but in short-to-medium term, this could complete the company’s (and its partners’) goal of sustainable polymers offering (e.g. CO2-based MEG + FDCA = PEF). Avantium announced today that it has acquired the assets of US-based Liquid Light Inc., which has developed proprietary process technology to make major chemicals from carbon dioxide…

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    Cargill, Calysta to build gas fermentation facility

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    Cargill and Calysta, Inc., along with several third-party institutions, plan to invest in reportedly the world’s largest gas fermentation facility in Memphis, Tenn. to produce Calysta’s FeedKind® protein, a family of sustainable, traceable nutritional ingredients for fish, livestock and pets. The new venture plans to build and operate this facility on Cargill’s 69-acre property on President’s…

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    Lygos bags $13m funding

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    Lygos, Inc., a bio-based specialty chemicals company, announced last week the closing of $13 million in Series A financing led by IA Ventures and OS Fund. Other investors include First Round Capital, the Y Combinator Continuity Fund, 50 Years and Vast Ventures, along with notable angel investors. Lygos has pioneered the world’s first bio-based production…

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    Corbion, Total in PLA JV

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    A good news for Corbion as France-based energy company, Total, decided to join forces and formed a 50/50 JV with Corbion to produce and market PLA polymers.  The JV will now handle the construction of a 75 ktpa PLA polymerization plant at Corbion’s site in Thailand, which already has a lactide (PLA monomer) production unit,…

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    Sustainable Sourcing of Feedstocks for Bioplastics

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    Bio-based chemicals and materials producer, Corbion, has released a white paper outlining the company’s position on feedstock selection, as well as covering issues such as land use, feedstock efficiency and food security. The paper was presented in September at the company’s PLA feedstock workshop reportedly attended by some 70 companies throughout the value chain. Corbion…

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    Cellulosic sugar coming soon to a market near you

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    I am now working on my Biomaterials newsletter deadline at Tecnon OrbiChem so I’m copying this press release word for word: Cellulosic Sugar Producers Cooperative (CSPC) has initiated an equity campaign to develop a corn stover and wheat straw to dextrose supply chain in southwestern Ontario. CSPC will engage with growers in the region to…

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    BASF, Avantium form Synvina JV

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    Commercial FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) production will be coming soon as Avantium and BASF formally announced the formation of Synvina, a joint venture to be based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that will produce and market FDCA as well as market the new polymer, polyethylenefuranoate (PEF) based on FDCA. The JV is planning to invest a mid-three-digit…