Novozymes ties up with M&G, Italy to construct cellulosic ethanol plant, to be commissioned in 2012

Novozymes, the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes, has tied up with Mossi & Ghisolfi Group for the supply of enzymes. Now M&G has commenced the construction of the world’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant at Crescentino, Italy. The plant will produce 13 million gallons (50 million litres) of ethanol annually from wheat straw, energy crops, and other sources of biomass. Both Novozymes and M&G will look at developing bio-based substitutes and a range of chemical intermediates.

The plant will be 10 times larger than the largest demonstration facilities in operation today and is designed to operate on a multitude of cellulosic feed stocks. It is scheduled to start production in 2012. The new plant will help to make ethanol costs compete with gasoline.

Vittorio Ghisolfi, president, M&G Group said, “the plant proves cellulosic bio-ethanol can be produced in a sustainable manner for the environment and for the industry. But our research is not stopping here. We are assessing bio-based substitutes for a range of other petrochemical products and chemical intermediates.”

Cellulosic ethanol is produced from biomass such as wheat straw, corn stover, municipal waste, or energy crops, which is first broken down into a pulp. Enzymes are then added, turning cellulose in the biomass into sugar which can be fermented into ethanol.

“As part of the green initiatives in the industry, the new plant signals the dawn of a new green era,” stated Poul Ruben Andersen, marketing director Bioenergy, Novozymes.

“With this state-of-the-art facility, M&G proves there is a cure for the world’s addiction to fossil fuels. Biofuel made from lignocellulosic biomass is no longer a distant pipe-dream. The technology is ready and plants will be built and run on commercial scale, offering a compelling alternative to conventional gasoline, according to Novozymes.

M&G’s plant in Crescentino will be self-sufficient in power. Lignin, a co-product extracted from biomass during the ethanol production process, is burnt at an attached power plant which also feeds excess electricity back to the grid.

The plant will employ around 100 employees and generate many more ancillary jobs in the local community.

Mossi & Ghisolfi Group, based out of Tortona, Italy, is a multinational company chemicals industry and specializing in the production and sale of PET resins for packaging. It is the world’s largest producer of PET for packaging applications with a production capacity of 1.7 million tons/year. The group owns production plants in Brazil, Italy, Mexico, and the US and supports three R&D units in Rivalta Scrivia (Italy), Sharon Center (USA), and Poços de Caldas (Brazil).

In 2004, with the acquisition of Chemtex International, M&G converted its talent for innovation into an important research project in the area of green chemistry and biofuels.

source: pharmabiz