Citric acid: Feedstocks

Cheap sugar, cheap steam: the recipe for low cost

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.

Citric acid is a sugar product: roughly 1.1-1.3 t of fermentable sugar per t of acid (indicative). Whoever has cheap glucose or molasses, cheap steam and lax gypsum disposal is low cost. China's maize processors have all three, which is why they dominate. Sugar prices move citric acid costs more than anything else.

Inputs per tonne

Input	Quantity per tonne	Role	Share of cost	Source
Mz Maize	about 1.8-2 t maize per t acid (indicative)	sugar source in China and the US	about 40-55% of cash cost (indicative)	indicative; maize tile
Su Sugar	about 1.1-1.3 t sugar or 2-2.5 t molasses per t (indicative)	sugar source in Europe and Latin America	about 40-55% (indicative)	indicative; sugar tile
Csv Cassava	about 1.3-1.5 t starch per t acid (indicative)	sugar source in Thailand and southern China	about 40-50% (indicative)	indicative; cassava tile
CaO Lime	about 0.6-0.8 t per t (indicative)	precipitates calcium citrate	small	indicative
Sulphuric acid	about 0.7-0.9 t per t (indicative)	splits calcium citrate	small	indicative
Steam and electricity	several t steam per t (not published)	sterilisation, aeration, evaporation, drying	about 15-25% (indicative)	indicative

Who is low-cost, and why

Chinese maize-based plants with coal steam sit at the bottom of the curve; European molasses plants are higher cost and survive behind anti-dumping duties and on quality and non-GMO claims (indicative).

Raw materials on the commodity table

Mz Maize Su Sugar Csv Cassava

What it is made into

Product	Note
Fd Food and feed additives	citric acid is one of the largest acidulants in the food additive family
Srf Surfactants	sodium citrate is a phosphate-free detergent builder