Danish industrial enzymes maker Novozymes on Tuesday launched an enzyme that it said produces more ethanol from corn, addressing concern that growth in biofuels has come at the expense of food production.
The new enzyme, called Novozymes Avantec, can "squeeze an extra 2.5% of ethanol out of the corn," it said.
"It allows you to save a lot of corn and still produce the same amount of ethanol," said Peder Holk Nielsen, executive vice president at Novozymes.
Corn is the main raw material used in U.S. biofuel production. Holk Nielsen said that "if all ethanol plants in the U.S. started using Avantec, they would save 3 million [metric tons] of corn."
Enzyme "not a revolution," but "very smart" use
Claus Felby, professor of biomass and bioenergy at the University of Copenhagen, said that technologically, the enzyme was not a revolution, but that it's "very smart to use the resources more efficiently."
"First-generation bioethanol is often criticized. But one tends to forget that just as much animal feed is produced when you produce ethanol from corn," he said.
First-generation biofuels are made from the sugars and oils found in arable crops, while second- generation biofuels are based on feedstocks that include crop residues, waste, algae and woody material.
