Solazyme is a renewable oil production company that has created a proprietary, scalable process that transforms carbohydrate feedstocks into renewable triglyceride oils, which can be processed into chemicals utilizing the existing oleochemical, petrochemical and specialty chemical infrastructures.

Using microalgae, which Solazyme cultivates through heterotophic fermentation, the company produces lipid rich biomass products which are processed into oils using standard oil recovery methods. Solazyme’s process is feedstock agnostic, allowing it to produce renewable oil at scale using the most pragmatic and readily available feedstock.

Solazyme’s microalgae produce linear fatty acids in the triglyceride form which can be converted through biological or chemical routes to numerous value-added chemicals, such as surfactants, lubricants and polymers. These lipids are highly tailorable, boast consistency and versatility, and surpass supply, affordability and quality issues found with other natural oil sources. By designing production processes that address the concerns of both scientific and political communities, Solazyme’s next generation, green chemicals have the potential to ultimately become a clean, sustainable and socially responsible alternative for the current chemical industry.

Through Solazyme’s chemical technology platform, the company is able to create the following opportunities:

• Offer existing chemical processors and formulators tailored oils that can compete cost-wise with natural oil sources as well as oils with enhanced performance properties.

• Increase target chemical output of large oleochemical plants without capital expenditures

• Boost value of the product mix of existing oleochemical plants.

• Increase renewable content of chemicals traditionally produced from petroleum products