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NexantThinking
Special Report: Bio-Based Chemicals - Going Commercial
Report Overview
Subjects addressed:

Renewable alternatives to conventional

petrochemical routes and products technologies
and value chains described and assessed

Global plant construction announcements for

renewable chemicals

Sector Growth Analysis Risk-Adjustments of Sector

Growth Projections

Responding to economic and market drivers, some of

the worlds largest chemical producers are investing in
and pursuing projects to more profitably manufacture
chemicals instead of biofuels. This is taking place as
many governments back away from carbon regulation
and biofuels development funding, as biofuels utilization
hits numerous other obstacles, and while oil prices
remain volatile. Some bio-based commodity chemicals,
like ethanol and citric acid, have long been commercial.
However the new environment has created an exciting
tipping point in strategic partnering, investment, and
construction that is driving rapid growth in renewable
chemicals commercialization.
Many new projects are being announced by biotech
process developers allied with credible conventional
industry players. Projects cover a wide range of enduses, from commodity thermoplastic and thermoset and
specialty polymers, to solvents, surfactants, lubricants,
coatings, plasticizers, other additives, fragrances,
emollients, and nutraceuticals. Projected growth
rates for renewable chemicals are significantly above
conventionally sourced chemicals, and thus the high
industry interest.
Who is involved in what value chains? Which chemicals
are receiving the most development thrust? How do
identical renewable replacements (e.g., renewable
ethylene is the same molecule as conventionally
produced ethylene) differ from new and unique renewable
molecular replacements? What is the current size and
real growth rate of this sector? How reliable are various
capacity announcements? How well partnered and
financed are the companies and their projects, and how
sound are their business plans? How significant are
these capacity announcements? How big will these
biochemicals be by 2015?

To answer these questions, Nexant has completed a multiclient report which analyzed the emerging renewable
chemicals technologies being commercialized, maps the value
chains for the different end-use products, and relates these
to the incumbent routes and products. To develop growth
projections, Nexant cataloged new plant announcements and
likely future initiatives and provides risk-adjusted analyses of
growth projections using its judgment of the reliability of each
announcement.
This report, Bio-Based Chemicals: Going Commercial,
is a comprehensive study. Nexant has investigated and
evaluated commercial announcements of renewable chemical
technologies, targeting chemical intermediates and endproducts such as:

Acids

Alcohols

Ammonia

Aromatics

Cellulosic Sugars

Diacids

Dienes

Diols

Ethers

Glycols

Isoprenoids

Olefins

Other

Nexants multi-client report will be useful to those shifting toward

renewables, those looking for alternative uses of renewable
resources or conversion technologies, biotech players
interested in what the competition is doing, and chemical
companies interested in emerging bio-based competition. It will
be valuable to anyone who needs a comprehensive overview
of progress in the sector, or to know when and how much
capacity is expected to come online, and how realistic project
announcements may be.
For further information or to purchase the Bio-Based
Chemicals: Going Commercial report, please contact
STMC@nexant.com.

NexantThinking Programs provide subscribers and users with comprehensive analytics,

forecasts and insights for the energy, chemicals, polymers and clean tech industries
For more information, please visit us at: http://thinking.nexant.com

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