‣ a reaction , because it is based on natural anaerobic fermentation and uses microorganisms that are not genetically modified . In the first step , microbial communities convert agricultural co-products into biobased platform intermediates of all the above-mentioned acids , without pre-treatment . The second step consists of the separation through purification and distillation of the organic acids that have market-known technical specifications . The only leftover from the fermentation process is a solid coproduct that is rich in potassium . This offers an alternative to synthetic or extraction-based potassium production and can be returned to the agricultural sector as an organic fertiliser , completing the circular , zerowaste approach . Terrial , a subsidiary of Avril Group and Suez which is the French leader in organic fertilisation , has an exclusive deal to use this co-product as an environmentally friendly supply of certified organic potassium that will be used in its premium products . As this co-product will be returned into the soil , it represents the start of the forming of new biomass . Potassium strengthens cell walls ( preventing lodging ), improves resistance to abiotic stresses ( drought , frost ) and promotes the migration of glucides to reserve organs . The potassium produced by Afyren will add to Terrial ’ s range with formulations for crops requiring it ( beet , potatoes , canola and corn ) and crops that cannot receive it in chloride form ( vineyards , vegetable crops , etc .). As simple fermentation processes usually yield high amounts of shortchain acids , it took Afyren years of R & D to design the process , in terms of volume ratio between the different acids , so as to provide commercially relevant quantities . The most difficult issues faced in scale-up included maintaining the robustness of the fermentation process and the consistency of purity and quality , and more generally managing the delicate balance between ecology and economy .
Sustainable , local feedstock
The fermentation technology works with a very large variety of complex substrates . Technically , the process works with numerous feedstocks that can be fermented , such as plants or agro-industrial co-products . Some of the challenges are to find the right volume of acids for each category of feedstock and what is relevant from a commercial standpoint . From the beginning , Afyren ’ s model was to align ecology and economy and to favour local and circular economy approaches . Therefore , the goal is to make use of the biomass surrounding production sites . After several years of research and experimentation , we decided that sugar beet co-products would be the perfect feedstock for the first plant in Carling Saint-Avold . Among other practical reasons , this feedstock is widely available within a 250 km radius and the proximity of sourcing with the production site reduces carbon footprint from transportation . In March , we announced a deal , under which
Figure 1 – Mass balance v . segregated approaches
64 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981