CJ Bio’s 10,000 tonne/year tryptophan capacity increase at its site in Piracicaba, Brazil, has come online, the company has disclosed. The new line will bring CJ Bio’s global tryptophan capacity to 50,000 tonnes/year.
CJ Bio’s 27,000 tonne/year Thr Pro threonine expansion – also in Piracicaba – is also online, the company added. Thr Pro is an 80% active granular source of L-threonine, with residual biomass.
The expansions, which were officially completed on 24 May, required an investment of $210 million dollars. About 1,200 jobs are expected to be created in Piracicaba, CJ Bio said.
“CJ do Brasil has evolved as the only amino acid producer offering the four main feed grade amino acids in South America. In addition to lysine and tryptophan, the factory now includes threonine and valine in its product portfolio. With this, CJ do Brasil is expected to contribute to the domestic supply of feed grade amino acids in Brazil,” the company stated.
“Although Brazil’s threonine supply has been entirely dependent on imports in the past, now the expanded Piracicaba plant is capable of supplying more than half of the domestic demand. As for tryptophan, the plant has already been supplying 100% of the domestic demand since 2021,” CJ Bio added.
In a second phase, CJ Bio plans to expand the Thr Pro line by a further 23,000 tonnes/year, ultimately increasing the company’s Thr Pro capacity in Brazil to 50,000 tonnes/year.
CJ do Brasil went on to say that it expects to cater to customers outside of Brazil and South America by also exporting to other continents such as North America and Europe.
