Reverdia

Reverdia, a joint venture between DSM and Roquette, represents another important company which has the ambition to become a global supplier of bio-based succinic acid under the trade mark Biosuccinium (http //www.reverdia.com). The production process utilizes GM strains of 5. cerevisiae, which allows production at low pH and thereby easier purification of the final product. After the successful start of a pilot plant in 2010 in Lestrem, France, Reverdia is now constructing its first production plant in Cassano Spinola, Italy, with a capacity of approximately 10,000 tons per year. Ongoing plans deal with the constraction of several other plants until 2020. 

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Routes towards based 1,4-BDO are currently under development. The production of succinic acid from biomass is currently being commercialized by companies like for example, BioAmber and the DSM-Roquette joint venture Reverdia [126]. Succinic acid is a potential feedstock for the production of 1,4-BDO via reduction of the diacid to the diol [127]. The US based company Genomatica claims it has been successful in developing technology for the direct biotechnological production of 1,4-BDO (see www.genomatica.com, accessed 22 June 2013 see also section 9.4.2). 

Currently, the main industrial programs aiming at the produetion of sueeinie aeid are headed at 2000 ton-seale by BioAmber (a joint venture of ARD and DNP), at 100 000 ton-scale by Reverdia (a joint venture of Roquette and DSM) and at 60 000 ton-seale by Sueeinity (a joint venture of Purac and BASF). However, the eurrent market of sueeinie acid (produced from fossil raw materials) is only 15 000 tons per year. The industrial companies are clearly antieipating the enhancement of the demand for bio-based succinic acid, mainly due to the PBS applications. 

Reverdia, a joint venture between DSM and Roquette, is dedicated to the production, commercialisation and market development of sustainable succinic acid, Biosuccinium. Since 2010, Reverdia has been producing tonnes of Biosuccinium in a demonstration plant in France. 

In 2011, Reverdia completed the construction of a commercial-scale plant with 10,000 tonnes/year capacity of biobased succinic acid, using fermentation technology in Cassano Spinola, Italy production started in December 2012 [108]. 

With many great advances made over the years, SA production is at the stage of commercialization. Several companies, such as Reverdia, Bioamber, Myriant, and Succinity, have initiated or are about to start the large-scale production of SA [1]. Furthermore, transformation of bio-based SA into other valuable chemicals such as 1,4-butanediol and tetrahydrofuran is being carried out by these companies, demonstrating that the microbial SA production is a successful example of industrial biotechnology. 

Reverdia (2014) Commercial Plants for the Production of Biosuccinium . http //www. reverdia.com/technology/commercial-plants/ (accessed June 24,2014). 

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