In March we reported the signing of a letter of intent for the formation of a joint venture between Avantium and BASF for the production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), as well as marketing of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF)

In March we reported the signing of a letter of intent for the formation of a joint venture between Avantium and BASF for the production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), as well as marketing of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF) (See our news archive: 21 March).
This joint venture has now come off the ground under the name Synvina, which will have its headquarters in Amsterdam, while the intended production site will be at BASF’s Verbund site in Antwerp. It is planned to invest “a mid-three-digit million euro sum” (translation: around half a billion) to build a plant with a capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons of FDCA per year. Stoechiometrically you need 1.15 ton of sugar per ton of FDCA.
For an explanation of the chemistry involved click here.