Succinity GmbH, a joint venture between Corbion Purac and BASF for the production and commercialisation of biobased succinic acid, starts up its first commercial production facility.

The plant, located at the Corbion Purac site in Montmeló, Spain, has an annual capacity of 10,000 metric tonnes and is producing commercial quantities of biobased succinic acid for the global market. In addition to this first facility, Succinity plans a second large-scale facility. The final investment decision for this facility will be made following a successful market introduction. The Succinity process is based on renewable raw materials and fixes carbon dioxide. The proprietary microorganism Basfia succiniciproducens allows for a flexible usage of different feedstocks. Furthermore, Succinity biobased succinic acid can be produced efficiently without major waste streams thanks to a closed-loop process. An elaborate downstream processing method ensures the production of high quality biobased succinic acid.

Based on technological advances and an increased need for renewable intermediates in different application fields, BASF and Corbion Purac have been working on the development of biobased succinic acid since 2009. Biobased succinic acid is a versatile building block with a significant market potential in the chemical intermediates market. It can be used in a variety of potential applications, such as bio-polymers.