Novozymes sales of enzymes to the bioenergy industry increased by 34% in Q1
25 April 2014
Novozymes reported that sales of its enzymes to the bioenergy industry increased by 34% in Q1, driven by three enzymes that promise to improve profits for producers of corn ethanol: Avantec, Spirizyme Achieve and Olexa. The enzymes enable producers to squeeze up to 5% more ethanol out of corn while saving on energy and chemicals.
The enzymes give our customers a choice. They can look at corn and ethanol prices, and then decide to buy less corn, but still maintain the same ethanol output, or they can increase throughput without increasing input costs. They are achieving the yield benefits we promised.
—Niels Miles Frandsen, Marketing Director for Bioenergy at Novozymes
Avantec was introduced to the market in October 2012, while Spirizyme Achieve was launched in June 2013 along with Olexa, a solution that works by freeing up oil bound in the corn germ.
In addition to increasing ethanol yield, the three enzymes can improve corn oil extraction by 13%, while saving 8% energy. This helps ethanol producers to improve profit margins and efficiency, and reduce their environmental footprint.
Novozymes’ tech service team has played a big part in getting the new products quickly introduced in the ethanol industry. Using data analysis and advanced statistics, the team works with customers at their plants to implement the technology and adjust their processes to ensure the enzyme benefits are fully realized.
The US Energy Information Administration estimates that US fuel ethanol production grew by 11% in the first quarter of 2014 compared with the same period last year. The US remains the world’s biggest biofuels producer.
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