(723a) Deployment of Yeast and Enzyme Technologies for Sustainable and Cost-Effective Ethanol Production

Ethanol is a biodegradable, high-octane motor fuel derived from sugars, starches and cellulosic materials found in plants. Ethanol is part of the solution to reducing fossil fuels dependency, lowering fuel prices, creating rural jobs, boosting farm economy and preventing climate change. DSM is a frontrunner in the development and deployment of yeast and enzyme technologies contributing to the above. On one hand, advanced yeasts are nowadays steadily conquering the corn ethanol market. This is triggered not only by the low margins but is also a logical next step in plant efficiency improvement. Advanced yeasts offer increased ethanol yields, mostly by reducing glycerol formation. Often, this higher yield performance comes at the expense of reduced robustness and/or increased by-product formation. DSM has developed and commercialized a disruptive yeast technology, called eBOOST™, for yield enhancement (up to 5% higher yield than conventional yeasts with up to 75% reduced glycerol production), free of any by-product formation, generating also additional output for the ethanol producers.

On the other hand, utilization of non-food sources, such as lignocellulosic biomass, is a sustainable option for producing cellulosic ethanol. Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic feedstocks into fermentable sugars is one of the most complex processes applied on production scale, since it involves the combined effect of a cocktail of enzymes acting in a series of chain reactions on multiple substrates (glucan, xylan and arabinan). Process aspects related to the enzymatic hydrolysis are also very important on production scale. For instance, fast viscosity reduction results in improved heat and oxygen transfer, allowing processing at higher dry matters and realizing better asset utilization. DSM has also developed commercially competitive cellulolytic enzymes that are uniquely active at high temperature and low pH, offering many benefits and product differentiation.

The current paper will demonstrate a proven and stable track-record of the eBOOST™ yeast technology on commercial scale fuel ethanol production, delivering what it promises even under challenging process conditions (e.g. high temperature, low pH and high organic acids), creating added-value for the customers. Additionally, we will demonstrate that the DSM cellulolytic enzymes’ distinctive application conditions highly help limiting the adverse effects of contamination, which causes ethanol yield losses, and thereby eroding profit margins.

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