An Italian biochemical pioneer plans to partner with an Atlanta company to build its first U.S. refinery.
Bloomberg reports that GFBiochemicals will redevelop a former industrial site with American Process Inc.
API currently produces cellulosic sugars at a biorefinery in Georgia; GFBiochemicals hopes to process those sugars into levulinic acid, a chemical building block with a wide range of potential applications.
GFBiochemicals currently makes about 10,000 tons of levulinic acid at its facility in southern Italy. The U.S. plant, the companies said, could produce five to 20 times that amount.
“This is an important first step in our strategy to partner with major market players in the bioeconomy,” Mathieu Flamini — GFBiochemicals co-founder and a midfielder for English soccer team Crystal Palace — wrote in a statement to Bloomberg.