Sekab and Dyadic verify commercial scale performance of new enzyme mix to breakdown cellulose

20 September 2012

Under the auspices of the EU project DISCO (“Targeted DISCOvery of novel cellulases and hemicellulases and their reaction mechanisms for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass”), SEKAB E-Technology, together with the R&D center of the Dyadic International, successfully verified the performance of a new Dyadic enzyme package (AlternaFuel CMAX) for the degradation of cellulose at a demo plant in Örnsköldsvik.

AlternaFuel CMAX is a liquid cellulase (carbohydrase enzyme) preparation produced by the submerged fermentation of Myceliophthora thermophila that can effectively be used for the degradation of various lignocellulosic biomass substrates for conversion of biomass to glucose.

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. 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.

—Jan Wery, Research Director at Dyadic Netherlands

The DISCO project is part-funded by the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7), the European Union’s chief instrument for funding research over the period 2007 to 2013. The aims of the DISCO project are to develop more efficient and cost-effective enzyme tools to produce bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass, and understand how these enzymes work. The project is coordinated by VTT, Technical Research Centre of Finland and Professor Kristiina Kruus.

SEKAB Biofuels & Chemicals AB is one of Europe’s leading producers of ethanol.