BASF has entered into an agreement with Slovenian biotech outfit Acies Bio to develop a fermentation technology platform for the sustainable production of fatty alcohols from methanol.
Acies Bio has developed OneCarbonBio, a fully flexible synthetic biology platform designed to convert renewable methanol, derived from captured CO2 emissions, into a variety of chemical raw materials.
Under the terms of the partnership, BASF's Care Chemicals division and Acies Bio will use the specialized microbes and scale up the fermentation process to produce fatty acids and derivatives serving to manufacture various chemical compounds.
BASF will contribute its expertise in developing processes, providing integrated value chain solutions and accessing global markets.
The expected benefits of the project include increased scale and flexibility, leading to diversification of BASF’s renewable feedstock portfolio and contributing to the resilience of Care Chemicals' global supply chain.
Fatty alcohols are essential building blocks for several ingredients in the home and personal care markets, in particular surfactants.
Traditionally, fatty alcohols are produced by direct extraction from plant material or chemical synthesis from fossil sources.
“Biotechnology complements our chemistry to create a more sustainable future,” said Dr. Matthias Maase, global director of sustainability at BASF Care Chemicals.
“We are very pleased to have found the right partner in Acies Bio to further develop this innovation at an early stage,” he added.
“With a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, our research scope of the partnership covers the entire chain from production strain development to large scale manufacturing. This will be of benefit to our customers in personal care, home care and I&I and industrial formulators worldwide.”
