Dec 22 2010
Amyris, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMRS) and Grupo São Martinho (SA:SMTO3) today announced that they had contracted with a construction manager for their joint venture industrial plant and that they are commencing preparation of the construction site for the plant.
The parties established their joint venture, SMA Indústria Química S.A., in April 2010 to create the first facility fully dedicated to the production of Amyris renewable products. The joint venture plant is located at Usina São Martinho, the largest-scale site for sugarcane processing in the world at approximately 8.5 million tons of annual crush, located in Pradópolis, São Paulo state. The project is on track and is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2012.
Amyris and São Martinho have engaged CNEC WorleyParsons as the construction manager for the project and have secured the construction permit issued by the environmental agency of the state of São Paulo. Amyris has been working with CH2MHill to develop the engineering designs for the plant.
“This is an exciting day for São Martinho, as we partner with Amyris to deliver renewable chemicals produced directly from our cane,” said Fabio Venturelli, CEO of Grupo São Martinho. “We have been working closely with Amyris on this undertaking since April, and are pleased with the pace of this project. We are excited with this diversification into value-added bio-based chemicals.”
“São Martinho’s extensive experience is a critical component of the joint venture’s success,” said John Melo, CEO of Amyris. “São Martinho is regarded as one of the most efficient mill operators in the world.”
Amyris and São Martinho plan for the joint venture plant to produce Biofene™, a renewable hydrocarbon, which would be used as an ingredient in a wide range of consumer and industrial products, including detergents, cosmetics, perfumes, industrial lubricants, and diesel. Amyris will provide the joint venture with genetically engineered yeast that converts sugar into hydrocarbons, and São Martinho will provide the feedstock in the form of sugarcane syrup. The plant will then process the feedstock through a standard fermentation process to produce the Biofene. Under the terms of the joint venture, Amyris and its subsidiary, Amyris Brasil, S.A., will finish and market the final Biofene-derived products to customers.
In advance of the São Martinho Amyris plant completion, Amyris expects to begin to commercialize Biofene primarily in the cosmetics industry and as a lubricant using contract manufacturing. Amyris has entered into agreements for contract manufacturing starting in 2011 at a facility of Biomin GMBH located in Piracicaba, Brazil and at a facility of Tate & Lyle located in Decatur, IL.
Source: http://www.saomartinho.ind.br