Novozymes to build $100 million enzyme plant in Nebraska

In Nebraska, Novozymes said that it will construct a 50,000 ton enzyme plant in Blair at a cost of between $80 million and $100 million. The plant will produce enzymes for ethanol production, as well as fertilizer made from the spent biomass. The plant will be co-located with a $300 million Cargill ethanol facility.

Novozymes background

In Iowa earlier this year, Novozymes established a new laboratory facility for ethanol production at the Iowa State University Research Park in Ames. Novozymes, which supplies enzymes for conventional and cellulosic ethanol production, has additional facilities in California, Virginia and North Carolina.

Novozymes has projected that US production of cellulosic ethanol will exceed first-generation biofuels by 2022.

In February, Novoymes was one of four companies to share $33.8 million in research grants for cellulosic ethanol projects in California and New Jersey. The four-year research grants come from a $1 billion fund the DOE established to finance cellulosic ethanol research. The grants are for projects researching advanced enzymes for converting cellulose into sugars. Industry will add another $37 million to the research effort. Grants were awarded to DSM Innovation Center, Genencor, Novozymes and Verenium. The latter three are based in California, while DSMN is based in New Jersey.

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