BioAmber’s Sarnia, Ont. plant begins shipping bio-succinic acid to customers
by Cleantech Canada Staff
Company plans to ramp up production to reach full capacity by 2017
MONTREAL—BioAmber Inc. has announced its Sarnia, Ont. facility has reached commercial scale production and begun shipping bio-succinic acid to customers.
The company’s plant, a joint venture with Mitsui & Co., uses an innovative technique to produce succinic acid from sugar at a cost lower than oil-based production. The process also vastly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Since opening its plant in early August, BioAmber has confirmed the performance of its yeast in the production fermenters.
“The fermentation performance achieved is significantly above the initial targets set for 2015, and the yield and productivity levels already exceed the targets the plant was designed to hit longer term,’ the company said.
The company also noted the bio-succinic acid being produced is of higher quality than the product previously produced at the company’s demonstration plant in France.
“The operational ramp-up is ongoing and our fermentation results have exceeded all expectations, offering us the prospect of better operating margins than we had originally projected,” Fabrice Orecchioni, BioAmber’s CEO, said.
BioAmber has begun shipping the product to customers, allowing them to confirm the quality of the bio-succinic acid.
“Management expects the Sarnia plant to be in commercial operation later this month and to increase production volumes progressively to reach full capacity in 2017,” the company said.
