Effective enzymes for the degradation of cellulose - SEKAB and Dyadic in cooperation on verificatio

Better and more hard-hitting enzymes for breaking down cellulose result in a more efficient production of bioethanol for biofuels and green chemicals. SEKAB E-Technology is one of the few companies with the ability to test innovations within the field on a scale, transferable to an industrial production scale. During the spring, a project was completed within the framework of the EU project DISCO, together with the research and developments centre of the global biotechnology company Dyadic International.

“The goal of SEKAB E-Technology is to translate the knowledge and experience gained at the plant over the years into commercial ventures. The Ethanol plant is a unique facility and the expertise gathered here allows us to test all the aspects of cellulose degradation in a way that few others can”, said Thore Lindgren,” Executive Vice President, SEKAB E-Technology.

The DISCO project is a cooperation between research institutes, universities and industrial partners from across Europe, including Russia. The goal of the project is to identify and develop better and more cost-effective enzymes for the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic raw materials, a research area that is attracting considerable interest worldwide. Dyadic has developed a new enzyme mix (AlternaFuel ® CMAX ™) that has now been successfully verified at the demo plant in Örnsköldsvik.

“SEKAB has the expertise required to show if the results that we have seen on a lab scale also works on a larger (commercial) scale,” said Jan Wery, Research Director at Dyadic Netherlands. “Such experiments are essential to show our customers the maturity and scalability of our newly developed lignocellulosic enzymes. The enzyme industry is growing rapidly, partly because of the increasing demand for lignocellulosic biofuels and we work continuously to offer new, more efficient products at lower prices.”

Cellulose is the main component in a variety of biomass, including waste from agriculture, forestry, wood-based industries and municipal solid waste. These materials exist today in large quantities across Europe and can be converted into second generation ethanol because they are renewable and do not compete with food production.

Source: newsroom - farmingnewsdaily.co.uk