New succinic acid plant in Sarnia
August 7, 2015
By
Alyssa Dalton
Aug 7, 2015 – BioAmber Inc., a sustainable chemicals company that uses sugar instead of petroleum, says it will open the “world’s largest succinic acid plant” in Sarnia, Ont.
According to the company, the new plant — boasting a capacity of 30,000 tons/year of succinic acid — uses innovative biotechnology and will produce biobased succinic acid from glucose sourced from southern Ontario agricultural suppliers.
The plant was jointly built with Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
“We’re excited that our renewable chemicals made from sugars are making everyday applications around the world more sustainable,” said Jean-François Huc, CEO of BioAmber. “We believe our disruptive biotechnology is going to profitably deliver benefits for the environment, our customers, our shareholders and the Sarnia Lambton community.”
The construction cost is approximately US$141.5 million. Three hundred construction jobs and 60 full-time jobs were created by the project; many of the plant operators are graduates from nearby Lambton College.
“The production and development of sustainable chemicals by BioAmber, working from within the existing chemistry cluster in Sarnia, is an economic and environmental win for the community and the province,” added Brad Duguid, minister of economic development, employment and infrastructure.
