Sinopec and Novozymes sign China ethanol deal

Biofuel enzyme producer Novozymes and its Chinese partner COFCO have entered into a partnership with Chinese oil and energy company Sinopec to develop ethanol from agricultural waste.

The three companies will cover ethanol production and distribution with the aim of developing a commercial-scale process for producing second-generation ethanol from corn stover.

Novozymes expects it will be the first company with enzymes ready for large-scale ethanol production by 2010, Steen Riisgaard, CEO of Novozymes, says.

The Chinese government has promoted a bioenergy advancement strategy that will boost the production of biofuels from existing technologies and develop second-generation biofuels.