Archer Daniels Midland Company and DuPont Industrial Biosciences announced a collaboration to develop, produce and market corn cellulase enzymes for operators of grain-based ethanol plants.
Cellulase enzymes assist in breaking down the corn kernel fiber. Once the fiber is broken down, more sugars can be liberated and then fermented into ethanol, helping grain-based fuel ethanol producers get more out of existing feedstocks, a release stated.
“The industry is looking increasingly at enzyme-based tools to boost yields and produce additional ethanol without having to make significant capital investments, and we look forward to working with DuPont to help deliver solutions in this space,” said Collin Benson, ADM’s vice president of bioactives.
“We’re thrilled to add yet another significant pillar in our partnership with ADM. We are already working together in high-performance renewable bio-materials; now this agreement brings together substantial resources and capabilities in the pursuit of new innovations for grain-based biofuels,” said Troy Wilson, DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ global industry leader of grain processing.
Initial product prototypes have proven successful in both laboratory and ethanol plant scale testing, and more evaluations are planned, the release noted.
DuPont abandoned an effort to use corn stover “non-kernel” plant waste after corn harvesting” as CEO Ed Breen announced the company would not attempt “moon shot ” breakthroughs.
Also losing out in the deal was the U.S. Department of Energy, which reported it spent $50 million on research on technologies used in the plant
The merger with Dow and the planned spin-off into three companies also made the effort an orphan in a corporate structure without a combined DuPont biosciences and agriculture business.
The Iowa plant that produced ethanol from the stover was put up for sale. No buyer has been found.
Getting more ethanol out of corn kernels in a more modest effort might ease criticism that the use of ethanol in gasoline is expensive and drives up the price of food. The cost of ethanol to motorists is also affected by the use of rail transportation for the product. Ethanol cannot be carried in less expensive pipelines.
The Midwest corn lobby has aggressively supported the continuation of mechanisms that enforce the use of ethanol in fuels.
