Amyris and ETH sign MoU

Renewable fuel company Amyris has signed a memorandum of understanding with ethanol producer ETH Bioenergia to produce renewable farnesene called Biofene.

The companies will use up to 2 million tonnes of sugar cane a year, which they will crush at an ETH greenfield mill in Brazil. Although ETH will control the joint venture, Amyris will market the Biofene that is produced on the site.

Production is scheduled to begin in 2014 and ETH has so far invested about R6 billion (€2.4 billion) towards projects in the past, including this one, with plans to invest a further R2 billion.

The company plans to produce 3 billion litres of ethanol and 2,700 GWh of electric energy by 2013.