BASF taps Acies Bio for methanol-to-fatty alcohols process

In Germany, BASF and Acies Bio have partnered to further develop a fermentation technology that converts methanol to fatty alcohols, essential building blocks for several ingredients in the home and personal care markets.

Acies Bio has developed OneCarbonBio, a fully flexible synthetic biology platform designed to efficiently convert renewable methanol, derived from captured CO₂ emissions, into a variety of chemical raw materials.

Under the terms of the partnership, BASF’s Care Chemicals division and Acies Bio will use these specialized microbes and scale up the fermentation process to produce fatty acids and derivatives. BASF will contribute its expertise in developing processes, providing integrated value chain solutions and accessing global markets.

For BASF, the expected benefits of the project include increased scale and flexibility, leading to a diversification of the renewable feedstock portfolio and contributing to the resilience of Care Chemicals’ global supply chain.

“Biotechnology complements our chemistry to create a more sustainable future,” said Dr. Matthias Maase, Global Director Sustainability, Care Chemicals BASF.