Myriant Technologies LLC, Uhde Corporation of America and Uhde GmbH Announce
Alliance for Engineering, Procurement & Construction of World Scale Renewable
Succinic Acid Plants
QUINCY, Mass., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Myriant Technologies LLC ("Myriant"), a
privately-held, biotech developer and manufacturer of renewable
bio-chemicals, Uhde Corporation of America and its preferred technology
provider Uhde GmbH, one of the world's leading engineering contractors
(jointly "Uhde"), announced an alliance for the engineering, procurement &
construction (EPC) of Myriant's biobased Succinic Acid plants based on
renewable feedstocks. The execution of this alliance marks an important
milestone in Myriant's commercialization of biobased Succinic Acid and
exemplifies Uhde's continued commitment to the renewable chemicals industry.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091021/NE96331LOGO )
Myriant, which has successfully piloted the Succinic Acid process previously
together with Uhde, has begun production of ton-sized samples for its
customers to verify commercial product specifications and quality. The
company expects to begin commercial production of biobased Succinic Acid
second half of 2010.
Under Myriant's build-own-operate strategy, the alliance agreement combines
the full breadth of Uhde's design and process expertise with Myriant's leading
renewable, biobased Succinic Acid technology for the rapid deployment of
full-scale commercial facilities. Uhde Corporation of America will be
Myriant's engineering contractor for projects located in the U.S.; Uhde GmbH
will act as Myriant's EPC Contractor in all other regions of the world. "The
addition of Uhde's capabilities and experience is a perfect complement to
Myriant's Succinic Acid program," said Stephen Gatto, Myriant Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer. "Utilizing Uhde's unsurpassed EPC track record
represents the final piece of the puzzle in making the construction of world
scale biobased Succinic Acid plants a reality."
With more than 2,000 plants to its credit, Uhde GmbH is one of the world's
leading engineering companies in the design and construction of chemical,
refining and other industrial plants. "Uhde GmbH has built up special
expertise in the field of biotechnology since 2004, and we are very excited
about matching that expertise with Myriant's leadership position in Succinic
Acid," stated Dr. Joachim Schulze, Head of Uhde GmbH's BioTechnology Division.
Succinic Acid has been recognized by both government organizations and the
chemical industry as one of the most promising biochemicals that can be
produced from renewable feedstocks to replace a wide range of petroleum-based
chemicals. Myriant's renewable Succinic Acid offers cost competitive
performance, reduced price volatility and a significantly enhanced
environmental footprint as compared to petroleum-based alternatives. Given
Succinic Acid's versatility, it can be used in a wide range of applications
including polymers, solvents, pharmaceuticals, food and pigments. Typical end
products that can utilize renewable Succinic Acid include car components,
computer and electronic casings, shoe soles and paints.
Uhde GmbH has a workforce of more than 4,900 employees worldwide and is a
company in the Plant Technology business area of the ThyssenKrupp Group. The
company's activities focus on the engineering and construction of chemical and
other industrial plants in the following fields: fertilisers; electrolysis;
gas technologies; oil, coal and residue gasification; refining technologies;
organic intermediates, polymers and synthetic fibres; and also coke plant and
high-pressure technologies. "We also provide our customers with professional
services and comprehensive solutions in all areas of industrial plant
operation. Details are available at www.uhde.eu"
With a world-renowned team of molecular biologists, engineers and chemists,
Myriant utilizes proprietary technology to advance the development of low-cost
cellulosic sugars for the sustainable commercialization of high-value
specialty chemicals. The company's D(-) lactic acid started production at
commercial scale in June 2008 for use in polylactic acid. Myriant is
headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts. Details are available at
www.myriant.com.
Contacts:
Myriant - Samuel G. McConnell, Sr. VP, Corporate Development
(617) 657-5207
Uhde Corporation of America - Dr. Dennis Lippmann, Managing Director
(412) 257-8277
Uhde GmbH - Dr. Joachim Schulze, Head of BioTechnology Division
+49 (3 41) 9 89-74612
Dr. Detlef Markmann, Head of Corporate Communications
+49 (2 31) 5 47-3813
SOURCE Myriant Technologies LLC
Myriant, Samuel G. McConnell, Sr. VP, Corporate Development, +1-617-657-5207;
Uhde Corporation of America, Dr. Dennis Lippmann, Managing Director,
+1-412-257-8277; Uhde GmbH, Dr. Joachim Schulze, Head of BioTechnology
Division, +49 (3 41) 9 89-74612, or Dr. Detlef Markmann, Head of Corporate
Communications, +49 (2 31) 5 47-3813
