PEP Review 2010-14 BIO-BASED SUCCINIC ACID By Sudeep Vaswani (December 2010) ABSTRACT In a U.S. Department of Energy report published in 2004, succinic acid was identified as one of the top twelve building-block chemicals that could be produced from renewable feedstocks. Currently, succinic acid uses a petroleum-derived maleic anhydride route for its production, which is both costly and environmentally unfriendly. As a result, there is a growing interest towards discovering a more economical and environmentally cleaner way for its production. One methodology that has been receiving increased attention is the use of bacterial microorganisms. This technology takes advantage of the fermentative capabilities of various microorganisms and utilizes a renewable substrate as a carbon source for acid formation. Succinic acid production from microbial organisms has tremendous potential as a building block for commodity chemicals with applications in several industries. Some of the succinic acid derivatives include: tetrahydrofuran (THF), 1,4-butanediol (BDO), succindiamide, succinonitrile, dimethylsuccinate, N-methyl-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, and 1,4-diaminobutane. This PEP Review discusses and provides a detailed techno-economic analysis for bio-based succinic acid production with a capacity of 82.7 million lb/year (37,500 mt/yr). Additionally, it covers information regarding genetic engineering mechanisms, regulation of specific enzymes, and purification of succinic acid to provide a cost-competitive alternative to fossil fuels. © SRI Consulting PEP Review 2010-14 A private report by the Process Economics Program Review No. 2010-14 BIO-BASED SUCCINIC ACID by Sudeep Vaswani December 2010 Menlo Park, California 94025 SRIC agrees to assign professionally qualified personnel to the preparation of the Process Economics Program’s reports and will perform the work in conformance with generally accepted professional standards. No other warranties expressed or implied are made. Because the reports are of an advisory nature, neither SRIC nor its employees will assume any liability for the special or consequential damages arising from the Client’s use of the results contained in the reports. The Client agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold SRIC, its officers, and employees harmless from any liability to any third party resulting directly or indirectly from the Client’s use of the reports or other deliverables produced by SRIC pursuant to this agreement. For detailed marketing data and information, the reader is referred to one of the SRI Consulting programs specializing in marketing research. THE CHEMICAL ECONOMICS HANDBOOK Program covers most major chemicals and chemical products produced in the United States and the WORLD PETROCHEMICALS PROGRAM covers major hydrocarbons and their derivatives on a worldwide basis. In addition the SRIC DIRECTORY OF CHEMICAL PRODUCERS services provide detailed lists of chemical producers by company, product, and plant for the United States, Western Europe, Canada, and East Asia, South America and Mexico. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 CHEMISTRY............................................................................................................... 1 COMMERCIAL OVERVIEW....................................................................................... 4 CURRENT AND POTENTIAL MARKETS.................................................................. 5 TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW...................................................................................... 6 Bioamber Technology Review.................................................................................... 7 Type of Substrate/Microorganism Used................................................................ 7 Genetic Engineering.............................................................................................. 8 Process Schematic/Description............................................................................. 9 Myriant Technology Review ....................................................................................... 10 Type of Substrate/Microorganism Use.................................................................. 11 Genetic-Engineering.............................................................................................. 11 Metabolic Evolution ............................................................................................... 14 Promising Mannheimia Succiniciproducens Technology........................................... 15 Fermentation ......................................................................................................... 16 Recovery and Purification ..................................................................................... 17 PROCESS SUMMARY............................................................................................... 18 PROCESS DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................ 18 Section 100—Fermentation........................................................................................ 19 Media Preparation ................................................................................................. 20 Fermentor Sterilization .......................................................................................... 20 Fermentor Inoculation............................................................................................ 20 Succinic Acid (Succinate) Production ................................................................... 21 Section 200—Recovery and Purification.................................................................... 21 Reactive Extraction................................................................................................ 21 Vacuum Distillation ................................................................................................ 21 Crystallization and Drying...................................................................................... 22 PROCESS DISCUSSION........................................................................................... 30 © SRI Consulting iii PEP Review 2010-14 CONTENTS (Concluded) Capacity...................................................................................................................... 30 Fermentation............................................................................................................... 30 Biomass Separation ................................................................................................... 30 Recovery and Purification........................................................................................... 31 Materials of Construction............................................................................................ 31 Biomass ...................................................................................................................... 31 CAPITAL AND PRODUCTION COSTS ..................................................................... 32 Discussion of Capital and Production Costs .............................................................. 32 Product Value ........................................................................................................ 32 Discussion of Process Costs...................................................................................... 32 Raw Material Costs ............................................................................................... 32 Capital Costs ......................................................................................................... 33 CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................................... 33 CITED REFERENCES ............................................................................................... 38 © SRI Consulting iv PEP Review 2010-14 FIGURES 1 Succinic Acid Derivatives ...................................................................................... 2 2 Enzymatic Pathway for Succinic Acid Production via E. Coli................................ 8 3 Schematic Representation of Bioamber’s Technology ......................................... 9 4 Mixed Acid Pathway for Myriant’s Succinate Production via E. Coli..................... 12 5 Carboyxlation Pathways........................................................................................ 14 6 Central Fermentative Metabolic Pathways Leading to the Formation of Mixed Acids in M. Succiniciproducens MBEL55E (Solid Arrows) (R4810020).....16 7 Block Flow Diagram of Bio-Based Succinic Acid Production from Glucose/ CO2 Using M. Succiniciproducens ........................................................................ 19 8 Bio-Based Succinic Acid Production Process Flow Diagram (Sheet 1 of 2) ................................................................... 41 © SRI Consulting v PEP Review 2010-14 TABLES 1 Bio-Based Succinic Acid Production by Fermentation of Glucose Design Bases and Assumptions............................................................................ 23 2 Bio-Based Succinic Acid Production by Fermentation of Glucose Major Stream Flows............................................................................................... 24 3 Bio-Based Succinic Acid by Fermentation of Glucose Major Equipment ................................................................................................... 27