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Toyota Tsusho joins BTX supply chain alliance with Suntory

19 Jul '16

2 min read

Anellotech, a sustainable technology company focused on producing cost-competitive BTX (benzene, toluene, and xylene) from non-food biomass, has announced that Toyota Tsusho Corporation, has joined as a multinational strategic equity investor and corporate partner in the renewable aromatic chemicals supply chain with Anellotech Alliance partner, Suntory.

Toyota Tsusho is a member of the Toyota Group and is one of the major value chain partners (along with Suntory) in the Anellotech alliance, further validating the global market opportunity for Anellotech's Bio-TCat technology.

Toyota Tsusho's investment has been used to fund development of Anellotech's Bio-TCat technology, including the installation and commissioning of Anellotech's new, fully-integrated development and testing facility (TCat-8). The 25 meter-tall unit's purpose is to confirm the viability and suitability of the Bio-TCat process for scale-up, and generate the data needed to design commercial plants using Bio-TCat technology. The TCat-8 unit was jointly designed by Anellotech and its R&D partner IFPEN, and will use a novel catalyst under joint development by Anellotech and Johnson Matthey. After verification of the continuous operation of TCat-8, Suntory plans to move ahead with studies to consider the development of the first commercial-scale Bio-TCat plant.

The TCat-8 unit has been installed at host South Hampton Resources' Silsbee, Texas location. Remaining construction activities required to bring the unit online are scheduled to be completed shortly, followed by commissioning and start-up of this first-of-its-kind development and testing facility later this year.

David Sudolsky, president and CEO of Anellotech said, “Toyota Tsusho is an outstanding partner for Anellotech and has provided significant financial support to our development process. Our companies share a common goal of developing Anellotech's Bio-TCat process and cost-competitively producing renewable BTX. Anellotech looks forward to continuing our progress and commercial deployment of the Bio-TCat process to further enable the sustainability performance of consumer brands around the globe.” (GK)

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India