Comet Biorefining, the Canadian company focused on the production of high-purity cellulosic dextrose, completed a round of equity financing led by new investor PM Equity Partner. Current investor Sofinnova Partners and new investor Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) also participated in the financing, whose terms were not disclosed.
Business
Novozymes launches an enzyme that adds nearly $1 million per year in revenue for a plant
Novozymes launched the Spirizyme® T Portfolio, an advanced suite of glucoamylase enzymes with trehalase and other yield enhancing activities that provide the most total sugar conversion in the industry. Trehalase is an enzyme that converts trehalose, a type of sugar that cannot be fermented to ethanol, to glucose, which is easily fermentable.
Poet-Dsm will build an on-site enzyme manufacturing facility in Iowa
Poet-Dsm Advanced Biofuels, a 50/50 joint venture between Royal Dsm and Poet, Llc. Based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will build an on-site enzyme manufacturing (OSM) facility in Emmetsburg, Iowa, pending state and local approvals.
Pacific Ethanol and Edeniq entered into a technology licensing and purchase agreement
Pacific Ethanol, Inc. a leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels in the United States, and Edeniq, Inc., a biorefining and cellulosic technology company, entered into a technology licensing and purchase agreement to enable the production of cellulosic ethanol at Pacific Ethanol’s Madera, California, plant using Edeniq’s Pathway and Cellunator™ Technologies.
Versalis–Genomatica biobutadiene awarded in Hannover
The bio-butadiene (bio-BDE) technology developed by Versalis (Eni) in partnership with Genomatica has been named winner of the Environmental Achievement of the Year within the “Tire Technology International Awards for Excellence and Innovation”, the European independent award program for the tire industry.
Trump creates uncertainty for investments of Finnish Neste in U.S. biofuels
Finnish oil refiner Neste is considering investing in U.S. production of biofuels in a move seen as a response to possible policy changes by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
The new Mercedes-Benz goes with Sunliquid® 20, the advanced biofuel produced by Clariant
Environmental-friendly traveling Sauna inaugurated in Minneapolis
The Traveling Sauna was inaugurated in Minneapolis on January 14, 2017. The sauna will be Finland’s centennial mascot in the United States. During the next twelve months it will travel all across the continent, driving altogether over 10,000 miles. At the inauguration ceremony Ambassador Kirsti Kauppi revealed the name of the sauna: it will be called Sisu.
The biolubricants market is tempting the big oil industry
The bioeconomy is also new biolubricants, a market segment that is tempting the big oil industry. It is no coincidence that Chevron Products Company, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc, has made an equity investment into Novvi LLC (a joint venture of Amyris, Inc., Cosan S.A., and American Refining Group, ARG).
France adopts its national bioeconomy strategy. An interview with Antoine Peeters, IAR
The bioeconomy speaks French. Yesterday the Government led by François Hollande endorsed its national Bioeconomy Strategy. After Spain and Italy last year, France is one of the last major biobased EU Member States to publish an official framework for the production and valorization of renewable resources.
Antoine Peeters, Head of External Relations and Partnerships at IAR – The French Bioeconomy Cluster, talks to Il Bioeconomista.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
