Announced December 7, 2009, Myriant Technologies was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to receive up to fifty million dollars for its planned biobased succinic acid facility in Louisiana. Among the nineteen integrated biorefinery projects that won funding or loan guarantees, Myriant was the only award focused exclusively on biobased chemicals rather than biofuels.
Biobased succinic acid has been identified as a priority among the top twelve chemicals by market size that can be derived from biomass. Succinic acid is used in a wide variety of applications including plastics, fibers, polyesters and pigments.
Myriant's production of biobased succinic acid will utilize both local sorghum and carbon dioxide (CO2) to displace petroleum-based feedstocks, using less energy than its petroleum alternative. In addition to the energy savings, by consuming CO2 rather than producing it via oil refining methods, Myriant's process dramatically reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions.