Global Bioenergies starts scale-up of a process to transform renewable resources into acetone and isopropanol

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

Global Bioenergies has just announced the start of the scale-up phase of a process converting renewable resources into C3 compounds (see press release). The second technology in its portfolio to enter the scale-up phase targets the production of acetone and isopropanol, chemicals that are extensively used in a wide range of industries. These compounds can subsequently be converted into propylene, a key molecule in the plastics industry.

The process is based on the use of bacterial strains with an engineered cellular metabolism. In nature, some bacteria produce acetone, but with a limited yield. Global Bioenergies’ innovation consists in radically remodelling the core carbon metabolism of the strains thereby unlocking high yields of sugar conversion.

Figure 1. Facilities of ARD in Pomacle-Bazancourt. The  “C3 process” has been transferred to this company specialised in scaling up fermentation processes

The “C3 process” has been transferred to ARD, a company placed on the Pomacle-Bazancourt agro-industrial site, which specialises in scaling up fermentation processes. A first run was successfully completed and it is expected to reach ton scale production as early as 2018.

Other posts about the most technically mature process of the Global Bionergies’ portfolio (production of isobutene):
- Global Bioenergies demo plant in Leuna operates successfully its entire process (28/9/2017).
- IBN-One awards FEED for the first bio-isobutene biorefinery to Technip and IPSB (30/8/2016).
- IBN-One – A Joint Venture to build a bio-isobutene plant (16/6/2015).

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