Myriant Technologies and Davy Process Technology Join Forces to Integrate the Myriant Bio-Based Succinic Acid and Davy Butanediol Technologies to Offer a Renewable and Bio-Based Butanediol Product

QUINCY, Mass., Feb. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Myriant Technologies (Myriant) and Davy Process Technology (Davy), a Johnson Matthey company, announce that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering the use of succinic acid as a bio-derived feedstock for the production of  butanediol, tetrahydrofuran and gamma-butyrolactone.

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The MoU covers two areas of co-operation between Myriant and Davy, first the non-exclusive testing and approval of Myriant's product succinic acid as a feedstock to the Davy process and second an exclusive Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the purpose of integrating the Myriant bio succinic acid technology with the Davy butanediol technology to minimise the cost of recovery and purification of the succinic acid for the production of bio Butanediol.

Myriant, a leading industrial biotechnology developer is in the process of constructing the world's first commercial bio-based Succinic Acid plant in Lake Providence, Louisiana.

"This agreement is an important step towards providing renewable feedstocks for 1,4 Butanediol producers and end users. Bio Succinic Acid produced by Myriant Technologies from renewable feedstocks should prove to be a valuable substitute for petroleum based maleic anhydride in the production of Butanediol. Current and future Davy Butanediol licensees will be able to take advantage of this opportunity," said Dr. Cenan Ozmeral, Chief Operating Officer of Myriant Technologies.

Davy developed its butanediol technology based on maleic anhydride feed and has licensed more than half a million tons of annual production capacity of varying mixtures of butanediol, tetrahydrofuran and gamma butyrolactone over the last 15 years.

Antoine Bordet, Managing Director of Davy Process Technology said, "We have a strong belief that bio-butanediol has an important place in the butanediol and derivatives market. We look forward to working with Myriant on the integration of our two technologies which we believe will provide further benefits in the production of bio-renewable butanediol from bio-succinic acid."

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.

Davy Process Technology, a Johnson Matthey Company, has a global business in petrochemicals technology development and technology licensing. The company has its headquarters in London and has a Technology Centre in Stockton-on-Tees. It licenses a range of proprietary process technologies such as Methanol, Fischer Tropsch, SNG, Butanediol, Detergent Alcohols, Oxo Alcohols, PTA, Industrial Amines, Ethyl Acetate and Propylene Glycol.

More information about Davy Process Technology can be found at www.davyprotech.com.

SOURCE Myriant Technologies