Fluctuations of fossil fuel-based raw materials and increasing focus on technologies that reduce carbon have created an opportunity for new bio-based technology to be developed to produce goods such as BDO. Currently, most of the used BDO capacity is based on fossil fuel derivatives of acetylene and malic andrid.
Most companies emphasize the development of bio-based technology for the production of chemicals using sugar as a raw material. As a result, they reduce the need for fossil fuel raw materials.
Companies such as Bio Amber (Canada) and Maryant (USA) have begun to develop BDO production from sugar or cellulose raw materials. Genomatica company (USA) has already developed BDO production technology using sugar.
Bio-based processes produce BDO both through the direct use of sugar and through indirect pathways of bio-based intermediates (bioxuxinic acid dehydrogenation). Bio-derived BDO can have significant cost advantages over conventional BDO production methods in terms of stability, reduction of oil dependence, and lower cost.