Diversa Corp. (Nasdaq: DVSA), a provider of enzymes used in biomass conversion, has formed a research program with New Zealand Crown Research Institutes Scion and AgResearch which could ultimately see New Zealand’s entire vehicle fleet running on New Zealand-grown and manufactured biofuels. The partners have agreed to coordinate their technology development initiatives to target the feasibility of a transportation biofuel industry in New Zealand that uses bio-based feedstocks such as trees and grasses.
The three organizations recently completed a preliminary study, undertaken at Scion in Rotorua and Diversa in San Diego, to investigate the potential for applying Diversa’s enzymes to New Zealand-grown tree stocks to convert the wood into sugars, which can then be fermented and refined into ethanol and other products.
Scion Chief Executive, Dr. Tom Richardson, says the results from the preliminary study are extremely positive, which prompted the three organizations to agree to move forward and conduct a feasibility study to further assess the technology and economics of a transportation biofuel industry in New Zealand.
In addition to determining the technical and economic feasibility of a New Zealand biofuels industry, the new study will produce a roadmap to identify potential risks or barriers to commercialization as well as specific technical and commercialization plans. If the results of the feasibility study are positive, the three organizations will work together to bring this vision to reality.
More than 50 per cent of New Zealand’s energy use is fossil fuel based, with the country consuming more than 840 million gallons of gasoline annually.
The Ministry of Climate Change is finalizing New Zealand’s strategies to respond to climate change, decrease carbon emissions, and to develop and produce secure, clean energy at affordable prices. The partners believe New Zealand’s forestry industry has the potential to meet these goals, by providing renewable and sustainable energy alternatives from an environmentally beneficial resource.
Diversa will employ its proprietary metagenomic enzyme discovery and optimization technologies in order to develop robust enzymes designed for cost-effective wood biomass conversion and to improve fermentation performance.
“This is one of the most exciting and profound projects I have ever been involved in, and we are looking forward to deploying Diversa’s powerful enzyme discovery and development technologies to create new cocktails of enzymes to convert wood to ethanol cost-effectively,” commented Mr. Shonsey.
About AgResearch
AgResearch is New Zealand’s largest Crown Research Institute with acknowledged expertise in biological science, therefore having a key role to play in boosting the productivity of our bio-dependent economy. AgResearch applies its expertise in biosciences and genetics to improve productivity and market success from forage to the supermarket shelf.
About Scion
Scion is a Crown Research Institute developing sustainable biomaterials for future generations. Scion is focused on applying a deep knowledge of plantation forestry, wood and fiber to the development of new biomaterials from renewable plant resources.
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