Yes, it has been awhile since I last posted and unfortunately, May is not going to be a good blogging month for me. Next week I’ll be on a much needed vacation off! For Tecnon OrbiChem newsletter subscribers, I am working on a bio-surfactant special report, so stay tune.

In the meantime, here is a press release from Rennovia and Stora Enso about their joint development and license agreement to produce bio-based chemicals based on Rennovia’s novel catalysts and processes. The companies did not indicate specific bio-based chemicals targeted under this partnership, and no other pertinent information was disclosed.

For background on both companies, Rennovia has been developing production process of adipic acid, hexamethylenediamine (HMD), glucaric acid and 1,6 hexanediol (HDO) using sugar feedstock via catalytic chemical processing (no fermentation involved) in partnership with engineering and process technology firm, Johnson Matthey. Rennovia and Johnson Matthey aim to license the bio-adipic and bio-HMD process tech, but Rennovia is planning to be a commercial producer for glucaric acid and bio-HDO.

Update: Rennovia says its partnership with Johnson Matthey is for the joint development and licensing of glucaric acid and adipic acid process technology.

Stora Enso’s Biomaterials division has acquired cellulosic sugar developer Virdia in 2014, and has been also looking to use lignin as chemical feedstock. Stora Enso has been building a demo plant for cellulosic sugar production in Raceland, Louisiana, and is expecting to start this facility this year.