METEX plans to build a PDO/BA production facility
METabolic
EXplorer (METEX) is a pioneer company in the industrial biotechnology
sector. It was co-founded by Benjamin Gonzalez, its current chairman, as a
spin-off of the Université d’Auvergne in 1999. It is located at the Clermont
Limagne technology park, on the outskirts of Clermont-Ferrand (France). Using
renewable raw materials, it develops innovative industrial fermentation processes
to produce chemical compounds used in basic products of everyday life such as
animal nutrition additives, plastics, textiles, cosmetics and resins, among
many others. With its biotechnological innovations, METEX contributes to the
necessary transition from petrochemistry to renewable chemistry.
Figure 1. METEX facilities at the Clermont
Limagne technology park (extracted from METEX web page)
On 12th May, the company announced
its new strategic priorities (see press
release): becoming the market leader for natural butyric acid (BA) for
animal feed and the benchmark producer of GMO-free 1,3-propanediol (PDO) for
cosmetics applications. And, the next step to achieve those goals involves the
building of a production facility for developing those markets. Main data known
about the project are summarized in the next table.
Capacity
|
24 kton/year.
First
stage: 6 kton (5 kton of PDO and 1 kton of BA).
Second
stage: 18 kton (15 kton of PDO and 3 kton of BA).
|
Current
status
|
Discussions
are under way with two top-ranking industrial players in Europe to host the
new production unit at industrial sites under redevelopment.
Points
under discussions are:
- Costs to be borne by the industrial partner.
- Amount of participation from financial
partners and stakeholders.
- Regulatory aspects regarding the
authorisations required.
|
Timeline
|
Construction
works should start toward the end of the first half of 2018 (with a clearance
of 3 months). By this time, the company will have selected the prime
contractor, management assistance and financial partners for the project.
Market
release of the products is set for 24 months after the start of the works on
the new plant.
|
CAPEX for
stage 1
|
Around 25
M€.
|
METEX has developed a patented technology to
produce PDO through the fermentation of crude glycerins from either vegetable
oils (first generation) or recycled oils (second generation). It has also
validated the recovery of BA, a key by-product of the technology. With the new
production facility, METEX will be able to sell BA directly and PDO through its
own distribution agreements.
BA market
The world market for organic acids in animal
feed is estimated at more than 1,000 M€. Within this, butyric acid is
particularly experiencing a strong growth (of 250% since 2010). This growth
rate is linked to its nutritional, metabolic and antimicrobial qualities that
make it beneficial to animal growth and health. This growth is expected to rise
with the introduction of new regulations banning the use of antibiotics as
growth promoters in Europe and the USA. METEX is targeting an eventual 20%
share of the market for natural butyric acid in animal feed.
PDO market
The market for preservatives in cosmetics
applications is estimated at 400 M€ in 2016. The METEX PDO could substitute
controversial preservatives such as parabens, formaldehydes and halogenated. PDO
production will also open access to the world biopolymers market, especially as
regards polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT). METEX is aimed at achieving a 50%
share of the market for PDO in cosmetics and a 40% in the PTT textile market.
