Euro firms team up for lignocellulosic sugar project

The technologies that constitute CelluTech were developed by SEKAB E-Technology in collaboration with Swedish universities. International experts have rated the CelluTech process among the most advanced methods to treat lignocellulosic biomass in the world. SEKAB and Davy will combine their expertise to drive the technology forward to meet the growing demand for advanced biorefining technologies to produce sustainable lignocellulosic sugars, ethanol and other green chemicals.

The technology platform, which is at the core of the collaboration, consists of several steps, including thermochemical pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis to initially produce sugars, for the onward production of ethanol by fermentation and other products from lignocellulosic materials. The platform is flexible and can be adapted to a variety of raw materials such as wood, straw, corn residues and bagasse.

“SEKAB is pleased to have opportunity to collaborate with an industry leader such as Davy, an organization with great expertise in the field in developing and commercializing technology,” said Thore Lindgren, Executive Vice President of SEKAB E-Technology.

“We are convinced that the partnership will bring forward process technologies that will deliver premium products for the biofuels and chemical industries.”

“Davy is excited at the prospect of developing and licensing CelluTech, technology with SEKAB using Davy’s expertise to promote the technology throughout the world”, said Antoine Bordet Managing Director of Davy Process Technology. “Davy sees this as an opportunity to extend its bio-based process technology portfolio which has already
licensed 1.5 million tonnes of bio based chemical product”.