Albemarle to produce Novvi’s synthetic renewable base oils

Albemarle Corp. has entered into a manufacturing agreement to supply base oils to Novvi S.A., a joint venture between Amyris, Inc. and Cosan S.A. Under the terms of the agreement, Albemarle’s Fine Chemistry Services (FCS) Division will serve as a custom scale-up and production partner, while Novvi will market the venture’s synthetic renewable base oils globally. “Novvi’s choice of Albemarle recognizes our ability to rapidly deploy our distinctive technical and manufacturing expertise,” Ron Gardner, VP of Albemarle’s Fine Chemistry Global Business Unit, said. “Novvi seeks to be a leading supplier of renewable base oils for high-performance lubricants with reduced environmental impact. Partnering with Albemarle for the scale-up and production of NovaSpec base oils reinforces our commitment to deliver to lubricants market the highest quality synthetic, renewable base oils,” said Lineu Moran, Managing Director of Novvi S.A. Pending regulatory activities, the company said that it expects to commence production of NovaSpec base oils in the near future at its Orangeburg, South Carolina, plant, using Biofene produced and supplied by Amyris. Production volumes were not disclosed. (August 26, 2011)