Raízen to collaborate on cellulosic ethanol project

Biotechnology business Novozymes will enter into a collaboration agreement with Raizen Energia, Brazil’s largest sugarcane crusher.

As part of the agreement, Novozymes will supply enzyme technology to Raízen’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Brazil, scheduled to be operational by end 2014.

The plant will be a bolt-on facility to Raízen’s Costa Pinto sugarcane mill in the state of São Paulo and will have the capacity to produce 40 million litres of cellulosic ethanol a year from sugarcane bagasse and straw.

Novozymes will develop enzyme technology optimized for Raízen’s process and it intends to establish new enzyme-manufacturing capacity in Brazil.

‘This first plant marks an important step in the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol in Brazil,’ says Thomas Videbæk, Novozymes’ executive VP of business development.

The agreement does not have any impact on Novozymes’ financial guidance for 2013.