NEWS
Milestones for two greentech firms
Afyren has achieved continuous production at its Afyren Neoxy plant at Clermont-Ferrand( pictured), which makes biobased products through a patented fermentation technology based on a circular model. It has now made hundreds of tonnes of biobased acids, which are currently undergoing qualification prior to delivery.
With this milestone, said CEO Nicolas Sordet, the company has“ command of all key stages of an innovative process with no equivalents worldwide”. The company is now in the industrial ramp-up phase, enabling it to deliver finished products regularly and in increasing volumes. Further investments plans are in place to eliminate bottlenecks.
Afyren plans to raise production to the targets it set in 2021: € 35 million / year with a current EBITDA margin at full capacity of 16,000 tonnes / year. It has already signed contracts representing cumulative revenue of over € 165 million in the food and feed, flavours and fragrances, life sciences, materials sciences and lubricants sectors.
Meanwhile, GFBiochemicals has launched Re: Chemistry, which it describes as“ a proprietary chemical platform [ that ] unlocks the full potential of levulinic acid”. The technology will be rolled out worldwide, with some brands already committed to using it.
The US Department of Energy previously listed levulinic acid as one of“ the twelve most promising building blocks for creating a greener future”. Its derivatives can be used
as ingredients in industries including home and personal care, paint and coatings, industrial cleaning and agrochemicals.
This follows a decade of R & D into making levulinic acid production commercially viable and scalable in partnership with academic institutions, including KU Leuven and the Universities of Lille, Lyon, Nice and others. As a result, a three-step process was reduced to one, making it considerably more economical.
William Blythe sold to PE-backed MBO
Synthomer has agreed to sell its UK-based inorganic chemistry business William Blythe to a management buyout( MBO) supported by private equity firm H2 Equity Partners for £ 30 million in a deal that should be complete by the end of May. The net proceeds will be used to reduce group debt.
Dating back to 1845, William Blythe supplies inorganic derivatives of elements such as tin, iodine, copper, zinc and tungsten for applications in markets including the life sciences, coatings, polymers, electronics, catalysts and renewable energy. The company employs about 85 at its site in Accrington. It had sales of £ 54 million and adjusted EBITDA of £ 4 million in 2024.
Synthomer, which makes specialised polymers, designated William Blythe as non-core in the strategic review it announced in October 2022.“ The business has limited synergies with the rest of the group and its divestment will further reduce the complexity of our site portfolio and enhance our focus on higher value, higher growth speciality chemicals markets where we have strong and sustainable leadership positions,” said CEO Michael Willome.
William Blythe said that the existing leadership team will continue to the run the business.“ The support and investment from H2 Equity Partners will allow for targeted investment in our facilities, capabilities and brand,” the company added.“ With this transaction we are now able to move forward as an independent business with a clear focus on our employees, products, customers and markets and with greater control over our future.”
JUL / AUG 2025 SPECCHEMONLINE. COM
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