Transformative Technologies 2010 nominees: Renewable chemicals and fertilizers
Nominations: Renewable chemicals and fertilizers
To vote in Transformative Technologies 2010, visit here.
BioEnergy International
This project will biologically produce succinic acid from sorghum. The process being developed displaces petroleum based feedstocks and uses less energy per ton of succinic acid produced than its petroleum counterpart.
GlycosBio
GlycosBio has created biologically balanced pathways inside microbes that can uniquely produce microorganisms capable of converting carbon sources such as glycerin into chemicals including ethanol, succinc acid, propanediols and lactic acid. In Q4 2009, GlycosBio began operation of a pilot facility with an annual fermentation capacity of up to 150,000 liters. In March 2010, the company announced it had successfully produced lactic acid and advanced ethanol in that facility. In May, GlycosBio announced its international expansion into Malaysia with the construction of a biochemical and biotechnology research and development facility.
Mantra Ventures
In using renewable energy, Mantra’s Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide (ERC) technology combines captured CO2 with water to produce high value materials, including: formic acid, formate salts, oxalic acid, and methanol. In addition, companies adopting ERC stand to make significant profit from its by-products.
Segetis
KiOR and Segetis were named to the TiE50 as the top startups of 2010, by TiE, a global, not-for-profit, organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurs, and sponsored by top venture capital, legal and accounting firms and Fortune 500 corporations. In all, 3,747 companies were nominated, and 287 finalists had been announced, with 10 cleantech sector companies in all receiving recognition in the top 50. 96,718 votes were cast in the public voting.
SynGest
In February, SynGest announced the company has retained Stern Brothers and Company to raise up to $74 million in debt to support the company’s first biomass-to-ammonia plant, to be located near Menlo. The plant will have a capacity of 50 Mgy, from 130,000 tons of corn cobs. “Anhydrous ammonia is the liquid fuel/battery/fertilizer of the future,” commented SynGest CEO Jack Oswald. Total project cost is expected to be $105 million, and Stern’s goal is to raise the 70 percent debt portion through the issue of municipal bonds. SynGest said it is in discussions regarding potential future projects in Ohio, Oregon, Michigan and Minnesota, according to the company.
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