ZeaChem vs Ensyn: Who's the best?

August 14, 2011 |

Background: This is a first round, Central Regional match-up between #3 seed ZeaChem and #14 seed Ensyn in the 2011 Transformative Technologies tourney, from Biofuels Digest.

Voting: Open to all Biofuels Digest subscribers. Voting links are in the Biofuels Digest daily newsletter. To subscribe (free), visit here.

The winner gets: Most votes advances to the second-round (round of 32), and a shot at the Biofuels Sweet Sixteen.

The loser: Goes home.

Laurels: ZeaChem is the 27th ranked company in the 2010-11 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy poll. Ensyn is currently unranked.

The match-up: ZeaChem combines biochemical fermentation and thermochemical processes into a hybrid process that achieves 40% higher yield than other cellulosic processes, according to the company. It is currently constructing a demonstration of its technology which will be open in Q4 2011.  ZeaChem’s patented biorefining process uses an acetogen – a species of bacteria adapted to digest the tough carbon chains of cellulose – to extract the maximum amount of energy available from the feedstock. ZeaChem offers the highest yield, lowest production cost and lowest carbon emissions profile of any known biorefining process. Ensyn’s core technology, Rapid Thermal Processing, or RTP, converts residual biomass from the forest and agricultural sectors as well as cellulosic-based, post-consumer wastes to high yields of light liquids. These RTP liquids are a source for a wide range of renewable fuels and chemicals,

Category: Fuels

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