DuPont Industrial Biosciences receives a grant from the European Commission to demonstrate high-efficiency enzyme production to increase biogas yields as part of the DEMETER project. The project is funded by the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program. Enzyme technology is reportedly proven to improve biogas yields and process robustness.
The DEMETER project is expected to demonstrate a yield increase and cost reduction in the production process for biogas enzymes, which can improve the economics of biogas production in Europe, according to DuPont. DEMETER biogas experts include DuPont (enzymes), Miavit (biogas ingredients distributor), BioBase Europe (pilot plant), OWS (anaerobic digester expertise), DBFZ (biogas research center), Ciaotech (economic and environmental evaluation) and Biomoer (biogas farm). The project is expected to be completed over the next three years.
The grant will be used to improve and scale up the enzyme-producing fermentation process to reach a cost reduction of at least 15% and to demonstrate the efficiency of the enzymes in biogas field trials in Europe, according to DuPont. Methane biogas is primarily used to generate electricity or is compressed and inserted into the pipeline gas grid.
DuPont recently developed a new enzyme product, derived from Myceliophthora thermophila C1, that in recent field trials reportedly showed a 10% cost reduction in the production of biogas from organic waste. In November 2016, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and MIAVIT GmbH announced a supply agreement for DuPont to supply its FIBREZYME G4 enzyme biotechnology to MIAVIT for inclusion in MiaMethan ProCut, a new biogas ingredient for the agricultural sector sold by MIAVIT. DuPont Industrial Biosciences also recently partnered with the American Biogas Council and the United States Department of Energy to host Using Biotechnology to Drive Progress in the Biogas Industry, a webinar discussing opportunities and challenges facing biogas producers in today's global market.
For more information, visit: www.biosciences.dupont.com
