WOODRIDGE, IL – Specialty chemicals company Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc., Woodridge, IL, has authorized the next stage of its second world-scale biorefinery in Natchez, MS, in order to expand production of its Inherent™ renewable building blocks. The facility is planned to begin operation in 2016. The decision is based on the successful start-up and operation of Elevance’s first world-scale joint venture biorefinery in Asia, as well as robust customer activity and demand forecasts for the company’s specialty and intermediate chemicals.
The Natchez project will be the second biorefinery using Elevance’s proprietary metathesis technology. Elevance announced commercial shipments from the company’s first biorefinery, a 180,000 MT joint venture with Wilmar International Limited located in Gresik, Indonesia, earlier this year.