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CNPC and UOP team up on biofuels

Honeywells subsidiary UOP and China National Petroleum Corp have decided to collaborate on biofuels projects in China. Under the agreement the two companies will collaborate on a range of biofuels technologies, and biodiesel and green jet fuel projects in China. Locally available Chinese feedstock will be largely used in these projects. CNPC is also evaluating a demonstration scale unit for producing biodiesel by utilising UOPs technology, either at an existing facility or at a new facility. It is understood that China has mandated a 15% blending of biofuels with transportation fuels by 2020. Owing to concern about the impact of first generation biofuels on food crops, the Chinese biofuel blending target looks far-fetched. UOP produces renewable jet fuel from non-food feedstocks such as camelina oil, animal fats, and algae.
Biofuels International, Nov 2009, 3 (9), 17

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feedstocks. With improved overall hemicellulase activity, Accellerase Duet builds on the advances in betaglucosidase and cellulase activity previously made by Accellerase 1500. These additional improvements allow Accellerase Duet to achieve higher sugar and biofuel yields, often at 3-fold lower dosing, and to be feedstock- and pretreatment-flexible.
Press releases from: Genencor International Inc, 200, Meridian Centre Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14618 3916, USA. Tel: +1 585 256 5200. Fax: +1 585 256 6952. Website: http://www.genencor.com, & Danisco A/S, Langebrogade 1, PO Box 17, DK-1001 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Tel: +45 3266 2000. Fax: +45 3266 2175. Website: http://www.danisco.com (15 Feb 2010) & NP Investor, 15 Feb 2010 (Website: http://www.npinvestor.dk/) (in Danish)

Danisco once again a potential takeover candidate

A number of banks have labelled Danisco as a clear takeover candidate in view of the fact that it has sold off problematic businesses, markedly reduced its debts, improved operating earnings, and removed voting rights restrictions, as well as having an attractive technology platform. It is thought that major chemical companies perceive enzymes as a potential threat to their business and the easiest way to eliminate this threat is to buy up enzyme operations. Private equity funds have shown interest in Danisco in the past, but this time it is higher grade industrial players who are taking notice.
Dagbladet Borsen, 22 Feb 2010 (Website: http://www.borsen.dk) (in Danish)

Genencor wins big loan to market bioisoprene

Danisco has received a loan of 40 M from the Nordic Investment Bank to fund two R&D projects at its Genencor enzymes division. The fund will be used towards the production of marketable bio-isoprene for use in rubber application and cellulosic-based bioethanol. Genencor recently inked a deal to develop bio-isoprene for potential use as an ingredient in the synthetic rubber production programme of Goodyear.
European Rubber Journal, Jan/Feb 2010, 192 (1), 11

Evoniks new metathesis catalysts

The catalysts business line of Evonik Industries has expanded its portfolio of metathesis catalysts. It is offering its customers three new, efficient homogeneous catalysts that cover a broad spectrum of reactions in crossmetathesis, ring-closing metathesis, and ring-opening metathesis through catMETium RF2, catMETium RF3, and catMETium RF4. The primary areas of application for the new catalysts are polymer chemistry and the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Evonik markets the new catalysts based on a business model that requires no licensing agreements and ensures transparency. The total kilogram price for the catalysts already includes the licensing fees for the use of the intellectual property rights.
Press release from: Evonik Industries AG, Rellinghauser Strasse 1-11 45128, Essen, Germany. Website: http://www.evonik.com (16 Feb 2010)

Cytec promoting speciality phosphines

Cytec Industries Inc will promote its range of speciality phosphine products at the upcoming Informex in San Francisco. Cytec is a global leader with over 75 years of experience in the scale-up and manufacture of speciality phosphines and phosphorus derivatives under the CYTOP and CYPHOS brands. Cytec offers phosphines for many speciality chemical applications including bisphosphonates, organophosphine catalyst ligands and ligand precursors, phosphonates, phosphine and phosphonic acids, alkylphosphine reducing agents and chloroorganophosphorus activating reagents. In addition, Cytec specializes in arrangements to develop and manufacture proprietary technology for speciality chemical companies worldwide. Cytec Industries Inc is a global speciality chemicals and materials company focused on developing, manufacturing and selling valueadded products.
Press release from: Cytec Industries Inc, 5 Garret Mountain Plaza, West Paterson, NJ 07424, USA. Tel: +1 973 357 3249 or +1 973 357 3319. E-mail: info@gm.cytec.com. Website: http://www.cytec.com (4 Feb 2010)

HC Starck sells catalysts business to Evonik

HC Starck sold its Amperkat business to Evonik Degussa GmbH on 26 Feb 2010. Evonik will acquire know-how and technology for the production and use of catalysts. Amperkat stands for activated metal catalysts. Starck has produced these at Laufenberg and this facility will be used for a transition period, before Evonik moves production to its site at Hanau. Starck had announced it was selling the business some time ago, as the catalysts no longer form a part of the companys core business.
Chemie Technik (Heidelberg), 2 Mar 2010 (Website: http://www.chemietechnik.de) (in German)

Genencor introduces another biomass conversion enzyme

Genencor introduced Accellerase Duet at the Renewable Fuels Associations 15th Annual National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, FL. This product is the latest generation in the companys line of enzymes used to convert biomass into sugars, a critical step in the production of cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels and biochemicals from non-food

New methanol synthesis catalyst from Topsoe

Haldor Topsoe has launched a new methanol synthesis catalyst system called MK-151 FENCE. It is the third

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generation of methanol synthesis catalyst from Topsoe, following MK101 and MK-121. Using MK-121 as the standard catalyst in trials, MK-151 demonstrated good activity, increased operational flexibility, excellent mechanical strength, improved selectivity, and superior stability. MK151 is based on the companys FENCE technology, which follows the idea of improving sintering barriers by growing their size and number. The advantages of replacing MK-121 with MK-151 shown in a comparative testing over four years include higher accumulated methanol production, extended lifetime, production improvement because of the removal of catalyst change-out, and lower energy use in the distillation section.
Nitrogen + Syngas, Jan/Feb 2010, (303), 46-50

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help set up a small-scale gas-to-liquid fuel production technology. Oxford will receive $5 M from PTT to advance Oxfords methane-steam reforming technology.
Chemical and Engineering News, 8 Feb 2010, 88 (6), 29

is almost back at the 2008 level. Enzyme sales to the European biofuel industry showed good growth development, although the industry is still small in comparison to the US industry. Key sales data are tabulated, including quarterly sales for 2008 and 2009, and graphically illustrated.
Novozymes Group Financial Statement 2009, 21 Jan 2010, 4,23 (Novozymes A/S, Krogshojvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark. Tel: +45 4446 0000. Fax: +45 4446 9999. E-mail: info@novozymes.com. Website: http://www.novozymes.com)

Sachtleben has new biodiesel catalyst

A catalyst that transforms industrial products and algae into biodiesel has been developed by Sachtleben, a jv between Rockwood and Kemira. The catalyst provides a solution to the issue of using food crops to produce energy. The catalyst can also be used to produce high-quality diesel fuel from inferior fats, paper-industry wastes and algae.
Chemical Week, 1 Mar 2010 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com) & Press release from: Rockwood Holdings Inc, 100 Overlook Centre, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA. Tel: +1 609 514 0300. Fax: +1 609 514 8720. Website: http://www.rocksp.com (16 Feb 2010)

Novozymes deals
Novozymes has entered into two technology development alliances with Brazilian firms. The companys partnership with waste management technology firm Cetrel SA will focus on the use of enzymes to convert bagasse into biogas. The second, with petrochemicals major Braskem, will involve the use of Novozymes fermentation platform to establish a commercial-scale sugarcane-topolypropylene production process.
Oils and Fats International, Feb 2010, 26 (2), 3

Novozymes 2009: sales of technical and detergent enzymes

Novozymes sales of detergent enzymes totalled DKR 672 M in 2009 (2008: DKR 2498 M). The satisfactory sales development was primarily driven by increased penetration of enzymes in mid- and low-tier detergents. Sales were, however, impacted negatively by consumers trading down to detergents with fewer or no enzymes. In 2009, sales of technical enzymes increased to DKR 2600 M (2008: DKR 2479 M). Enzyme sales to the biofuel and starch industries contributed to the growth, whereas sales to the textile industry experienced a decline compared to 2008. The negative development in textile enzyme sales seems to have come to a halt, with a positive sales growth development in the latter part of the year. The development in enzyme sales to the starch industry was driven by a robust demand for syrups. Enzyme sales to the biofuel industry in 2009 were up by 7% in DKR. The development over the year was uneven, but enzyme sales improved throughout 2009 as the US biofuel industry recovered and more capacity became operational. However, the year as a whole was challenging for the US biofuel industry, and Novozymes enzyme sales in 2009 were disproportionately impacted by some specific customers lower biofuel outputs compared to 2008. However, Novozymes maintained a market share of more than 60% throughout 2009 and

Shell exits stake in Choren

Shell has divested its interest in Choren, a biomass-to-liquids (BTL) company, to the other shareholders. Despite the sale, Shell will continue to supply technical know-how in nextgeneration biofuels. The shareholders, for their part, have committed to increasing the budget for Chorens future projects. In 2005, Shell and Choren began developing BTL fuels with primarily wood products and wood-based waste serving as raw materials. Choren will continue with plans to bring online its first 15,000 tonne/y BTL facility in Freiberg in south Germany by 2011.
Nitrogen + Syngas, Jan/Feb 2010, (303), 12

Novozymes unveils ethanol from waste

Novozymes, a biotech firm based in Denmark, has introduced enzymes that make biofuel production from agricultural waste commercially feasible. The enzymes will enable the production of ethanol for under $2/gallon for the first commercial-scale plants that are slated to begin operation in 2011.
ICIS Chemical Business, 22 Feb 2010 (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)

Government waste fuels truck

Novozymes showed cars with ethanol fuel made of government waste papers at the Washington Auto Show in Washington DC, USA. The fuel was developed by Fiberight. Novozymes provided a specialized cocktail of enzymes to degrade the paper into sugars before being fermented into ethanol.
Chemical and Engineering News, 1 Feb 2010, 88 (5), 18

Shell and Cosan team up on ethanol: generation game

On 1 Feb 2010, Royal Dutch Shell and Cosan, one of the largest Brazilian ethanol producers, announced that they were forming a $12 bn jv. The decision by Shell to invest in first-generation ethanol production based on sugarcane marks a reversal of trends in which large oil firms carried out research into alternative feedstocks for biofuels. Investment by Shell of $1.6 bn during 2010-2011 will enable ethanol production by the jv to be

Oxford and PTT alliance

Oxford Catalysts has inked a letter of intent with Thai energy firm PTT to

APRIL 2010