Syngenta expands Enogen corn to 16 ethanol plants

Swiss agribusiness Syngenta has reached agreements with 16 ethanol plants to use its bioengineered Enogen corn.

Together, all ethanol plants using Enogen now have a combined production capacity of more than 1 billion gallons, and Syngenta is in discussions for further expansion.

Enogen corn enzyme technology is currently the only biotech corn designed specifically to enhance ethanol production.

Enogen was grown on approximately 225,000 acres in 2015, with the amount of land expected to increase to 440,000 acres by the next season.

According to Jack Bernens, head of Enogen for Syngenta, the alpha amylase enzyme found in Enogen corn hybrids helps ethanol plants reduce the viscosity of corn mash and eliminate the need to add a liquid form of the enzyme.

‘This breakthrough viscosity reduction can lead to unprecedented levels of solids loading, which directly contributes to increased throughput and yield, as well as critical cost savings from reduced natural gas, energy, water, and chemical usage in ethanol plants,’ Bernens says.

Enogen corn benefits also growers, who Bernens says will earn an average premium of 40 cents (€0.36) per bushel.

Assuming an average yield of 165 bushels an acre, Enogen corn is expected to generate approximately $26 million of additional revenue for local growers in 2016 through per-bushel premiums.

Trials based on Syngenta hybrid performance comparison study have shown that Enogen hybrids perform equal to or better than other high-performing corn hybrids.

‘The agreements we have in place with a steadily increasing number of plants will enable them to source alpha amylase directly from growers and keep enzyme dollars in those local communities,’ Bernens adds.