Novozymes is introducing Innova Quantum, a new addition to its Innova yeast platform. The robust new yeast enables ethanol plants with longer fermentation times of more than 60 hours to realize higher ethanol yields and processing efficiencies than ever before. Most importantly, plants can achieve this industry-leading yield without trade-offs which put their operation at risk, Novozymes said.

Innova Quantum has significant robustness and works particularly well under differing processing conditions. This means that ethanol producers can maintain consistency in challenging conditions, maximize the fermentation process towards optimal starch conversion, and achieve the highest ethanol yields in the industry, Novozymes said.

Using a yeast bred to thrive through temperature excursions up to 98°F (37 °C), operators diminish downtime, increase plant efficiency and output in any season, and improve production. With Quantum’s exceptional lactic and acetic acid tolerance, plants can reduce the risk of slowing down or shut down due to fermenter loss, enabling plants and operational teams to power through infection events more easily.

Producers can increase ethanol yield by 2-3% with the new yeast, which for a 100MGY plant translates to an additional $1-2 million in revenue. Designed to operate in fermentations of more than 60 hours, Quantum with new strain development is capable of converting the most sugar to ethanol while significantly lowering fermentation by-products such as glycerol up to 40%—all without the trade-off and risk of robustness loss experienced with competing yeasts.

Quantum expands plant flexibility fermenting to more than 16% w/v ethanol concentrations, while eliminating the need for expensive nutritional supplements.

Within three years of Innova yeasts emergence on the market, nearly half of North American ethanol is produced using Innova yeasts, indicating how the platform fulfils a significant market need for groundbreaking bioinnovation that makes a real, tangible difference for producers.

Novozymes said that he launches of Innova Quantum and Element fermentation solutions, the Fortiva Hemi liquefaction solution, and Fiberex F2.5 for fiber-to-low-carbon ethanol production, together deliver the industry’s most holistic, sustainable, and advanced approach to ethanol production.