Amino acids (lysine, methionine): Feedstocks
Why lysine lives in Jilin and methionine in chemical parks
What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.Lysine is a maize product: about 2 t of maize per t of lysine HCl (indicative), so maize is most of the cash cost. Methionine is a petrochemical: propylene, methanol, sulphur and natural gas. That split explains the geography: fermented amino acids sit in China's maize belt, methionine in integrated chemical parks in Europe, the US, Singapore and China.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mz Maize | about 2-2.2 t per t lysine HCl (indicative) | carbon source for fermentation | roughly 60-70% of lysine cash cost (derived: about 2.1 t x RMB 2,090-2,300/t corn against RMB 6,800-7,000/t cash cost, 2024) | Faxian Gongchang 2026; derived, indicative |
| Su Sugar | about 1.8-2 t sugar per t lysine (indicative) | carbon source outside China (Brazil, Indonesia) | similar | indicative |
| Gas Natural gas | not published | methionine nitrogen and sulphur chemistry | significant for methionine (indicative) | indicative |
| S Sulfur | not published | methionine sulphur atom | small | indicative |
| Propylene (as acrolein) | not published | methionine carbon backbone | significant for methionine (indicative) | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Large Chinese lysine makers in Jilin, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia with cheap maize and coal power are lowest cost (cash cost about RMB 6,800-7,000/t in 2024). For methionine, large integrated Evonik and Adisseo sites and Chinese entrants such as NHU compete on scale and HCN integration.
Raw materials on the commodity table
Mz MaizeSu SugarGas Natural gasWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| Fd Food and feed additives | amino acids are a core feed additive |