Reverdia was a 50/50 joint venture between Royal DSM and Roquette Frères focused on producing bio-based succinic acid, marketed as Biosuccinium. Established to commercialize renewable alternatives to petroleum-derived intermediates, Reverdia developed and operated a 10,000 tpa plant in Cassano Spinola, Italy, among the first large-scale bio-succinic acid facilities in Europe.
The company’s process used a proprietary low-pH, yeast-based fermentation technology to convert renewable carbohydrates into succinic acid with high efficiency, reduced salt formation, and lower energy demand. The product serves as a building block for polymers (e.g., PBS and polyurethanes), resins and coatings, plasticizers, solvents, and intermediates for food and pharmaceutical applications.
In 2019, DSM and Roquette dissolved the Reverdia joint venture. Roquette assumed full ownership and operation of the Italian plant and continued supplying bio-succinic acid, while DSM shifted to licensing its bio-based succinic acid technology.