PTT PLC and Mitsubishi Chemical, has selected BioAmber Inc. as its partner for a polybutylene succinate (PBS) plant that will begin construction in Thailand in 2012. BioAmber will build a biobased succinic acid plant in Thailand and supply PTTMCC with biobased succinic acid on an exclusive basis. Succinic acid is the principal starting material for the production of PBS, along with 1,4-­‐butanediol.

PTTMCC plans to take an interest in BioAmber’s succinic acid plant and secure off‐take for a portion of the plant’s capacity. The plant will be built in proximity to PTTMCC’s PBS plant, and both plants are expected to come online in 2014. After evaluating the various biosuccinic acid technologies, PTTMCC concluded that BioAmber’s platform offered the lowest cost biosuccinic acid and the lowest technology risk. By securing BioAmber’s cost competitive succinic acid, PTTMCC expects to drive down the manufacturing cost of biobased PBS, a renewable, biodegradable polymer that has significant growth potential and strong patent protection thanks to a recently issued Mitsubishi Chemical patent.

The partners have begun a feasibility study to determine the exact location of the succinic acid plant, which could be built next to the PBS plant at the Map Ta Phut site in Rayong. At peak capacity BioAmber expects to produce 65,000 MT of succinic acid on the site. BioAmber also plans to produce 50,000 MT of biobased 1,4‐butanediol on site, using its technology licensed exclusively from DuPont to convert biobased succinic acid directly to 1,4‐butanediol in an integrated process. PTTMCC will help BioAmber secure biomass for the plant, which will initially source sugar from cane and/or tapioca, and subsequently biomass sugars...