Summary: In early Oct., EI reports for the 2,000 t/a biofermentation-method L-asparagine API production project from Kaimisi New Material and the 100 t/a GABA project from Bicells were posted.

After being approved by the Dongying Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau on 11 Oct., the environmental impact (EI) report of the 2,000 t/a biofermentation-method L-asparagine API production project by Shandong Kaimisi New Material Technology Co., Ltd. (Kaimisi New Material) was published on the department website.

As one of the 20 common amino acids in living organisms, L-asparagine is a p-hydroxy amide compound of L-aspartic acid, which has been widely used in food, medicine, light chemicals, and water environment protection. The use of L-asparagine is fairly widespread and has attained a relatively high level of development in the international market. Conversely, China's amino acid industry started late and thus its technology level needs to be improved. L-asparagine products, which urgently need to expand their markets and have high added values, positive economic benefits, and bright futures, will not only meet the needs of national industrial development but will also bring satisfactory investment returns. As a consequence, an agreement for technical collaboration to invest in the construction of the 2,000 t/a biofermentation-method L-asparagine API production project has been signed between Kaimisi New Material and Jiangnan University.

Details of the 2,000 t/a biofermentation-method L-asparagine API production project

• Nature: new construction
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• Total investment: USD28.17 million (RMB200 million), including environmental protection investment of USD0.48 million (RMB3.44 million), 1.72% of the total figures
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• Location: Economic Development Zone of Hekou District, Dongying City, Shandong Province
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• Floor areas: about 0.67 ha (10 mu)
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• Building areas: about 2,800 m²
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• Construction works: use the existing plant and build a new plant to create a new L-asparagine API production line
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• Construction scale: to produce 2,000 t/a of L-asparagine by biological fermentation
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• Process flow: to make bacteria and efficiently transform L-aspartic acid to produce L-asparagine
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• Labor quota: 91 personnel
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• Working system: three shifts, totaling 250 working days/6,000 working hours per year

 

Established in Oct. 2020, Kaimisi New Material now runs a 3,000 t/a graphite purification project.

Bicells Science Ltd. (Bicells) proposed to invest in and build a 100 t/a reduced glutathione, 100 t/a γ-aminobutyric acids (GABA), 30 t/a glucosylglycerol, and 30 t/a glucosylrutin project, according to market development needs. The Songyuan Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau accepted and made public its EI statement on 10 Oct.

Details of the 100 t/a reduced glutathione, 100 t/a γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), 30 t/a glucosylglycerol, and 30 t/a glucosylrutin project:

• Nature: new construction
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• Location: Bicells' existing plant in the Sino-US Cargill Bio-Chemical Technology Industrial Park, Songyuan City Economic Development Zone, Jilin Province
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• Total investment: USD7.04 million (RMB50 million), of which 0.48% will go towards environmental protection
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• Construction works: Apart from Bicells' current production workshops and some of its existing engineering production devices, the project will have some new equipment for a fresh production line to produce 4 products, reduced glutathione, GABA, glucosylglycerol, and glucosylrutin.
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• Product program: Bicells now has a 100 t/a nucleotide line and will have 4 additional products (reduced glutathione, GABA, glucosylglycerol, and glucosylrutin). Since all 5 of those products will share the same production line, the production will be performed respectively and their production capacity will be adjusted in the practical production process to meet market demand. The maximum production capacity of each product will be: 100 t/a of reduced glutathione, 100 t/a of GABA, 30 t/a of glucosylglycerol, 30 t/a of glucosylrutin, and 100 t/a of nucleotides
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• Labour quota: with no additional personnel, dependent on ongoing projects
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• Working system: three shifts, totaling 300 working days per year
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• Construction period: 10 months

 

Bicells, which was founded on 14 Aug. 2020, primarily produces nucleotides (capacity: 100 t/a), which have passed the ISO 9001 quality management system certification, the FSSC 22000 food safety management system certification, etc.

On 21 Sept., Hebei Think-Do Chemistry Co., Ltd. (Hebei Think-Do) published an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of its 500 t/a L-aspartic acid construction project.

Project overview

• Nature: new construction
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• Location: Recycling Chemical Park, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
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• Construction contents:
• Use 6 insulated kettles in the iminodisuccinic acid sodium salt (IDS) workshop, add 1 plate and frame filter, 2 integrated washing and filtering dryers, and 3 supporting pneumatic diaphragm pumps.
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• Install 1 continuous discharge centrifuge in the hydrolysis post of the polyaspartic acid workshop, remove 2 polymerizers and supporting silo steel platform from the 2^nd floor of the polyaspartic acid workshop, etc. Install 1 new scraper dryer and electric heating oil furnace, 1 L-aspartic acid & phosphoric acid mixed dryer and electric heating oil furnace, 1 sieving machine, 1 crusher and supporting steel platform in the original polymerizer.
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• Product capacity:
• Decrease 2,000 t/a of IDS and 1,250 t/a of polyaspartic acids
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• Produce 500 t/a of L-aspartic acids, 90 t/a of byproduct maleic anhydride polysuccinimide, and 350 t/a of polymer polyaspartic acids
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Hebei Think-Do was established in Dec. 2020 with a registered capital of USD3.52 million (RMB25 million). Its main products are polyaspartic acids and iminodisuccinate.