Versalis (Milan / Italy; www.polimerieuropa.com) and its bioplastics joint venture partner Novamont (Novara / Italy; www.novamont.com) are joining forces with US-based Genomatica (San Diego, California; www.genomatica.com), a leading developer of process technology for renewable chemicals, to enable production of butadiene from renewable feedstocks. On 24 July, the prospective partners signed a memorandum of understanding to form a jv to develop the technology. Versalis, a subsidiary of Italian energy giant Eni and known until recently as Polimeri Europa – see Plasteurope.com of 12.04.2012 – will have the undisclosed majority share.

The work, which will focus on developing a “comprehensive end-to-end process for producing polymer-grade butadiene from biomass, will leverage the respective expertise of the three companies". Genomatica will supply its butadiene technology, Versalis its expertise in catalysis process development and process engineering scale-up as well as market applications of butadiene derivatives. Novamont will contribute its experience in renewable feedstocks.

If the collaboration is successful, Versalis intends to be the first company to build commercial plants using the process technology. Butadiene is a key intermediate for the company’s elastomers business, which currently relies on C4 petrochemical feedstock. The technology will also be licensed to companies in Europe, Africa and Asia.

The tightness of the butadiene market, due in part to inadequate capacity, has put “significant long-term” upward price pressure on the key petrochemical and as a knock-on effect has increased prices of butadiene-based products such as automotive tyres, Versalis noted. Concerns about lack of butadiene availability are compounded by growth forecasts within the BRIC countries where demand for such products is increasing, it added.

The new partnership, which follows last year’s establishment of Matrìca, the jv with Novamont – see Plasteurope.com of 15.06.2011 – allows Versalis to “seize a promising business opportunity in a market that is experiencing a critical time,” said CEO Daniele Ferrari. Using renewable feedstock should make it easier to adjust supply to meet local market demand while staying close to a low volatility feedstock and reducing environmental footprint, commented Novamont CEO Catia Bastioli.

Since mid-2011, Novamont has been cooperating with Genomatica on commercial-scale production of 1.4 butane diol (BDO) from renewable raw materials – see Plasteurope.com of 24.08.2011. It also is collaborating with Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Corp (MCC, Tokyo; www.m-kagaku.co.jp).

On 16 June, management of the jv approved the transfer of Matrica’s headquarters from Milan to Porto Torres in Sardinia, as envisaged. The development of the Sardinian complex, in which the bioplastics producer is investing some EUR 105m in the first of three phases of the new production focus, has been held up by Italian bureaucracy.

Altogether seven plants are planned to be built at Porto Torres by 2016. Phase one will include a 32,000 t/y bio-monomer plant and a 25,000 t/y bio-lubricants plant, both set for start-up in late 2013 or early 2014. Phase two will see construction of a plant for 30,000 t/y of organic additives and 15,000 t/y of bio-fillers for the rubber industry. In the final stage, monomer capacity will be widened to 100,000 t/y and a new 120,000 t/y plant for “Mater-Bi” bioplastics built. The plans also call for a new 30,000 t/y bio-lubricants plant and a 40 MW biomass-fired power plant.