Novozymes in project to repower the maritime sector with biofuels
21 December 2011
Novozymes, DTU (the Technical University of Denmark), Haldor Topsøe, MAN Diesel & Turbo, DONG Energy, and A.P. Møller - Maersk are collaborating in a 5-year project investigating repowering the maritime sector with biofuels. The Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation will contribute DKK 56.3 million (US$9.9 million) in funding, with the other participants providing the remainder of the DKK 112-million project.
The newly established alliance will work on converting biomass into sugar and on into biofuels that can be utilized in the maritime sector.
We’ve been working to develop the biotechnological solutions that enable biomass to be converted into sugar and sustainable bioethanol for land transportation for many years, and now this technology is ready to be deployed and improving every day. It’s therefore natural for us to contribute our knowledge to this new project, which aims to get the world’s ships sailing on other biofuels produced from biomass.
—Lars Hansen, Vice President of Region Europe at Novozymes
The maritime sector accounts for approximately 10% of global transport energy consumption. Maritime transportation represents global anthropogenic CO2 emissions equivalent to the carbon footprint of a country such as Germany.
The project is to be headed by Professor Claus Felby of the University of Copenhagen, and each of the companies will provide their specific expertise.
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