Syngenta unveils cellulosic fuel collaboration to improve ethanol plants

Syngenta announced Friday an agreement with Cellulosic Ethanol Technologies to license its ACE (Adding Cellulosic Ethanol) technology, a new process for ethanol plants. 

ACE technology has been shown to significantly increase a plant's ethanol production while delivering other benefits such as increased corn oil production and higher protein content in dried distillers grains (DDGs), an ethanol by-product used for animal feed.

In combination with Syngenta's proprietary Enogen corn trait, ACE technology allows the fiber as well as the starch in a corn kernel to be converted into ethanol. Enogen is the only corn output trait designed specifically to enhance ethanol production. 

It is expected that the ACE-Enogen offer will enable ethanol plants to make further progress in reducing natural gas usage and increasing ethanol throughput, thereby improving their carbon footprint.

"The adoption of Enogen in ethanol plants is accelerating, with six commercial contracts signed," said Davor Pisk, chief operating officer of Syngenta. "The introduction of ACE technology will further drive growth. It has the potential to improve substantially both the profitability and sustainability of ethanol plants, enabling them to produce more energy with fewer resources."

Cellulosic Ethanol Technologies is a subsidiary of Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP). The use of ACE technology is scheduled to begin at QCCP's ethanol plant in Galva, Iowa, in May of 2014.

"The combination of ACE technology and Enogen corn is expected to generate significant synergies when used together in dry grind ethanol plants,' said Delayne Johnson, CEO of QCCP. "This launch represents a major advance in the production of cellulosic ethanol."