Agrivida, Novozymes see opportunities for North Carolina

In North Carolina, executives from Agrivida and Novozymes confirmed that the state, which is not a significant producer of corn, needed to focus on alternative crops and residues in order to meet a target of producing 10 percent of liquid fuels from local resources by 2017, as established in the state’s biofuels roadmap.

The Biofuels Center of North Carolina reports that the state could be at 100 Mgy in production capacity by year end. “We are working with both Agrivida and Novozymes to help build the biofuels industry in North Carolina.” said Biofuesl Center communications director.  “Because of North Carolina’s leadership in biotechnology – it is ranked #3 in the US – as well as its strengths in agriculture and forestry, there is considerable confidence about the prospects of advanced biofuels in North Carolina.”

According to the Center, North Carolina is taking a strategic approach to the creation of a biofuels sector in the state.  In 2006, it began a broadly-based process that resulted in North Carolina’s Strategic Plan for Biofuels Leadership.  (It can be viewed and downloaded at our website.)  To implement the plan, which has as its goal the creation of a sector that will grow and produce 10% of the state’s liquid fuels by 2017, the NC General Assembly legislated the creation of the Biofuels Center of North Carolina.

Funded by the state with an annual appropriation of $5 million, the Biofuels Center is a private not-for-profit working with agriculture, forestry, universities, the community college system, industry, as well as other key stakeholders at state and federal level, to expand the biofuels industry in North Carolina.

“Because woody biomass is our most plentiful feedstock – the state has more than 17 million acres of forestland,” said Smit, “solutions to processing cellulosic sources of biomass hold the most promise for North Carolina.  The center is working with partners to find appropriate, sustainable, cost-effective solutions to cellulosic biofuels. Biotechnology will play a key role in helping North Carolina reach its goal of 10% by 2017, but the Biofuels Center is investigating and promoting both biochemical and thermochemical conversion and production options for the state.”

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