COFCO, Sinopec and Novozymes to Construct Biofuel Demonstration Facility by 2011
BEIJING, May 28 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Today, Novozymes, the world’s leader in bioinnovation, COFCO, China’s leading producer and supplier of processed agricultural products, and also the largest biofuel supplier in China, and Sinopec, the world’s third-largest oil refinery, signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering the next steps towards commercialization of cellulosic biofuel in China. As part of the agreement, COFCO and Sinopec will build a cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant which Novozymes will supply with enzymes. Officials from China’s National Energy Administration witnessed the signing ceremony.
The new plant will kick off construction in the third quarter of 2011 and will produce three million gallons of bioethanol made from corn stover a year. In February, Novozymes launched new Cellic(R) CTec2, an enzyme product enabling the biofuel industry to produce cellulosic ethanol at a price competitive with gasoline and conventional ethanol.
“In 2009, we forged this partnership in China to develop biofuel from agricultural waste; today, we are one step closer to producing commercial quantities,” said Michael Christiansen, President, Novozymes China. “With gasoline prices hovering around $4 per gallon in China, companies across the country are reaffirming their commitment to investing in development of clean, alternative fuel sources.”
The largest demonstration plant in China The new plant will be the largest, demonstration facility converting agricultural waste into biofuel in China. The new demonstration plant will be based upon engineering optimization results from COFCO pilot plant in Zhaodong, Heilongjiang Province, which is up and running since 2006. China has an adequate supply of biomass, and agricultural residues alone exceed 700 million metric tons annually. A 2009 study by Novozymes and McKinsey showed that by converting agricultural residues into fuel ethanol, China can reduce its gasoline consumption by 31 million tons in 2020, thereby reducing its dependence on imported petroleum by 10% and abating 90 million tons of CO2 emissions. By doing so this industry will create 6 million direct jobs, resulting in an RMB 32 billion -- around $4.7 billion -- income increase annually.
By 2020, the number of cars in China is expected to exceed 200 million, up from 130 million today, which will lead to substantial growth in the demand for vehicle fuels. To meet these rising demands the Chinese government has launched an ambitious bioenergy development target that will boost the production of cellulosic biofuels.
