BASF sells Bioenergy Enzymes business to Lallemand Group

BASF has sold its Bioenergy Enzymes business in San Diego to Lallemand subsidiaries Danstar Ferment AG and Lallemand Specialties Inc. This includes the Spartec product portfolio and related technologies under development.

Lallemand will integrate the business and related employees into its Lallemand Biofuels and Distilled Spirits (LBDS) business unit. As of June 1, all business activities have been taken over by Lallemand.

LBDS is a leading global supplier of fermentation feedstocks and technology solutions and this acquisition underscores LBDS' commitment to the fuel ethanol and alcohol industry. LBDS has been working with BASF's Bioenergy business since 2017 to develop the expression of glucose and alpha-amylases in bioengineered yeast, which is currently widely used in the North American ethanol production market.

Angus Ballard, President and General Manager of LBDS, said: "We see the capabilities of the BASF Bioenergy team and its Spartec products and pipeline technologies as highly complementary to our own. By combining resources and R&D programs, we will be able to better meet the needs of our customers around the world."

“Lallemand is the best owner for the Bioenergy enzymes business. Their commitment to the biofuels industry, as well as their complementary portfolio and global reach, will create new growth opportunities,” said Daniel Wilms, Vice President, Strategy, Innovation and Sustainability, Nutrition & Health, BASF.

BASF will remain focused on enzymes for the animal feed and detergent markets and will continue to provide farmers with agronomic solutions to produce low carbon intensity crops for the bioenergy industry.