Amyris begins production of Biofene at Brazilian plant

California-based Amyris Inc., a renewable fuels, chemicals and products company, announced that its purpose-built industrial fermentation facility in Brazil has successfully begun production of Biofene™, Amyris’ brand of renewable farnesene.
“We are encouraged by the continued, strong commitment from our major investors, particularly as we start up our new industrial fermentation facility for the production of our renewable hydrocarbons in Brazil,” said John Melo, Amyris president and CEO.
“Our own farnesene plant at Paraiso has been successfully commissioned, with initial farnesene production underway. We anticipate sales from this facility during the first quarter of 2013,” Melo said.
Amyris’ initial portfolio of products is based on Biofene™ (trans-ß- farnesene), a hydrocarbon molecule, manufactured using engineered microbes in fermentation. Using Biofene™ as a building block, Amyris is developing a slate of different products for the fuels and the specialty chemicals markets.
Amyris also announced that it has completed a US$42.25 million private placement of its common stock. The company said that part of the more than 14.17 million shares issued in private placement went to Total Gas & Power USA for the cancellation of a US$5 million outstanding promissory note issued by the company to Total.
In early 2012, Total renewed its partnership with Amyris, committing US$82 million over three years for the development of Biofene™. Bolding Investment SA, an investment company owned by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani, a former prime minister of Qatar, committed to an investment of US$15 million for the commissioning of Amyris’ Paraiso Bionergia production plant in Brazil.
Also participating in the private placement were Maxwell (Mauritius) Pte Ltd., Naxyris SA, Foris Ventures LLC, Sualk Capital Ltd. and TPG Biotechnology Partners II LP. (December 27, 2012)