DuPont Danisco

DuPont Danisco, formally DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE), was a joint venture established in 2008 by DuPont and Genencor, the biotechnology subsidiary of Danisco. Its purpose was to accelerate the development and eventual commercial deployment of cellulosic ethanol, a biofuel produced from non-food plant material rather than food crops such as corn grain or sugarcane. The venture combined DuPont's industrial, chemical, and project-development capabilities with Genencor's expertise in industrial biotechnology and enzyme systems. The company's work focused on converting agricultural and other lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars and then ethanol. Its feedstock research included corn stover, corn cobs, plant fiber, and switchgrass. In collaboration with Genera Energy and the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, DDCE developed a demonstration-scale biorefinery and research facility in Vonore, Tennessee. The facility began operating at the end of 2009 and used biochemical fermentation processes to make ethanol from non-food biomass. The Vonore installation had a stated annual production capability of approximately 250,000 gallons. DDCE emphasized that the site was primarily a demonstration and optimization facility rather than a full commercial production plant; the company indicated that it did not plan to produce more than 150,000 gallons there. Its main value was the generation of process data and operating experience for the design of larger cellulosic-ethanol facilities. In 2011, DDCE received a $9 million grant from the Iowa Power Fund Board for a proposed 25-million-gallon-per-year refinery capable of processing corn stover. The grant was associated with a project whose total reported cost was $226 million. This initiative reflected the venture's broader objective of moving from laboratory and demonstration work toward commercial-scale renewable-fuel production. The joint venture was ultimately dissolved in 2011 after DuPont acquired Danisco. The acquisition changed the corporate relationship that had supported the venture, and the separate DuPont Danisco entity ceased to operate as an independent joint venture. DuPont continued pursuing cellulosic ethanol development through its broader biotechnology and advanced-biofuels activities, but DuPont Danisco itself is a defunct venture rather than an active consumer-facing brand.

DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC was formed in 2008 as a 50/50 joint venture between DuPont and Genencor, which was then a subsidiary of Danisco. The venture was created to combine DuPont's industrial and chemical capabilities with Genencor's biotechnology expertise in pursuit of commercially viable cellulosic ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol is produced from the structural material of plants, including agricultural residues and dedicated energy crops. Unlike conventional ethanol made from food-grade starch or sugars, the process targets materials such as corn stover, cobs, fiber, and switchgrass. The technology therefore required pretreatment of biomass, enzymatic conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable sugars, and biochemical fermentation into ethanol. DDCE's stated objective was to lower the cost of these processes and support the eventual construction of larger commercial facilities. The venture worked with Genera Energy and the University of Tennessee Research Foundation to develop a demonstration-scale biorefinery and research-and-development facility in Vonore, Tennessee. The plant entered operation at the end of 2009. It was designed with an annual ethanol capacity of 250,000 gallons, although DDCE said that it did not intend to produce more than 150,000 gallons because the facility's primary role was to generate technical and operating information. The demonstration program was intended to inform the design, optimization, and construction of larger commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants. In 2011, the Iowa Power Fund Board awarded DDCE a $9 million grant for a proposed refinery in Iowa. The planned plant was described as having a capacity of 25 million gallons per year and as using corn stover as its principal feedstock. The grant formed part of a project reported to cost $226 million. This proposal represented an effort to move beyond demonstration operations toward commercial deployment. The corporate structure of the venture changed after DuPont acquired Danisco in 2011. Because Genencor had been Danisco's subsidiary and was part of the original joint-venture arrangement, the acquisition removed the independent corporate basis for DuPont Danisco. The venture was subsequently dissolved in 2011. DuPont continued work in advanced biofuels and cellulosic ethanol through its own organization, but DuPont Danisco no longer operated as a standalone entity.

• 2011

  Iowa Power Fund grant awarded

  [1]DuPont Daniscoen.wikipedia.org

  The Iowa Power Fund Board awarded a $9 million grant toward a proposed 25-million-gallon-per-year corn-stover refinery, part of a project reported to cost $226 million.

• 2011

  Venture dissolved after Danisco acquisition

  [1]DuPont Daniscoen.wikipedia.org

  DuPont Danisco was dissolved following DuPont's acquisition of Danisco.

• 2009

  Vonore demonstration facility begins operation

  [1]DuPont Daniscoen.wikipedia.org

  A demonstration-scale biorefinery and research facility in Vonore, Tennessee, began operating at the end of the year and processed agricultural biomass into ethanol.

• 2008

  Joint venture established

  [1]DuPont Daniscoen.wikipedia.org

  DuPont and Genencor, Danisco's biotechnology subsidiary, formed DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC as a 50/50 venture focused on cellulosic ethanol.

An industrial biotechnology and renewable-fuels joint venture focused on making cellulosic ethanol from non-food agricultural biomass and scaling the technology for commercial biorefineries.

• Biofuel

  Cellulosic ethanol

  Ethanol produced from non-food lignocellulosic biomass, including corn stover, cobs, plant fiber, and switchgrass. DDCE focused on the biochemical conversion of these materials, using processing and fermentation technologies intended to reduce the cost of advanced biofuel production and make larger commercial biorefineries feasible.

• Industrial biotechnology · 2009

  Cellulosic ethanol biorefinery process technology

  A set of demonstration and research activities covering biomass handling, conversion, enzymatic processing, and fermentation. The Vonore facility was used to collect information for optimizing future commercial-scale plants rather than to serve primarily as a conventional fuel-production site.

• 2011

  Pursue commercial-scale corn-stover refineryStrategy

  Background

  Experience from the Vonore demonstration facility was intended to support larger commercial cellulosic-ethanol plants.

  Action taken

  DDCE accepted a $9 million Iowa Power Fund grant connected with a proposed 25-million-gallon-per-year refinery using corn stover.

  Aftermath

  The separate venture was dissolved later in 2011 after DuPont acquired Danisco.

  Reported total project cost. $226 million (2011)

  Source

• 2008

  Create a dedicated cellulosic-ethanol joint ventureStrategy

  Background

  DuPont and Genencor sought to accelerate the development and commercialization of ethanol made from non-food biomass.

  Action taken

  They established DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC as an equally owned venture combining industrial and biotechnology capabilities.

  Aftermath

  The venture built a demonstration facility in Tennessee and pursued larger-scale refinery plans before being dissolved in 2011.

  Source

1. 1DuPont Daniscoen.wikipedia.org