Straw to sugar to biofuel breakthroughs

For some thirty years or so now, it has been technically feasible but economically costly to convert cellulose into sugar commodities. Thanks to astounding progress over the last three decades in molecular genetics and microbial biotechnology, this cost barrier has been broken.

The breakpoint in commercially feasible conversion of cellulosic materials into sugars was signalled by April 2005 announcements by a consortium that includes the Danish biotechnology company Novozymes , the US biotechnology company Genenecor, and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) . These announcements heralded a 30-fold reduction in enzyme catalyst cost in a biomass-to-ethanol project.
The April 2005 Danish stock exchange announcement says:.

The project goal has been achieved: the cost of enzymes for biomass-based fuel ethanol production has been reduced to USD 0.10-0.18 per gallon in laboratory trials, a 30-fold reduction since 2001. Enzymes are no longer the main economic barrier in the commercialisation of biomass [cellulose to ethanol conversion] technology.

This announcement is a signal of coming disruptive price competition in all markets that are connected with biofuel, sugar, starch and similar commodities.
Lower cost enzyme catalysts used for biofuels manufacturing moved into the marketplace this year:
Bioethanol – now in Europe too

Novozymes is launching three new enzymes which make the production of ethanol from wheat, rye and barley up to 20% more efficient, so paving the way for increased production of bioethanol in Europe.
The new enzyme solutions launched today (3 November 2005) are aimed especially at bioethanol producers in Europe, where production of wheat, barley and rye is high. There has already been an interest in the new solutions, which offer both financial and environmental benefits.
Bioethanol (also known as fuel ethanol) as a substitute for gasoline in cars is already big business in the USA for both farmers and the companies that produce it for the gas stations, but here bioethanol is derived mainly from corn, which is easier to use for ethanol production. The European bioethanol market is still not as significant as in the US - but a development in the European market can be supported by these improved enzymes designed specifically for the major European grain varieties.


See later posts:
Energy balances.

Brazilian ethanol exports

Corn prices propped up in USA

Biodiesel too

Australian INPACT cellulose conversion technology

Details of new cellulase catalysts developed by Genencor.