Davy Process Technology Ltd and SEKAB E-Technology AB form strategic partnership

Rotterdam, the Netherlands — Davy Process Technology Limited (Davy), a Johnson Matthey company, and SEKAB, a leading player in the field of the ethanol based chemicals and biofuels, today announced at World Biofuels Markets that they are embarking on a collaboration to develop and market CelluTech™, SEKAB’s lignocellulosic based biorefinery technology.

The technologies that constitute CelluTech™were developed by SEKAB E-Technology in collaboration with Swedish universities. International experts have rated the CelluTechTM 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 commercialising 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.”

About Davy Process Technology

Davy Process Technology, a Johnson Matthey company, has a global business in petrochemicals technology development and technology licensing. The company has its headquarters in London and has a Technology Centre in Teesside, UK. It owns a range of proprietary process technologies such as methanol, Fischer-Tropsch, SNG, butanediol, natural detergent alcohols, Oxo alcohols, PTA, industrial amines, ethyl acetate, biodiesel and propylene glycol. For further information, visit the company’s website.

About SEKAB

SEKAB is one of Europe's leading ethanol players. The company produces and distributes bioethanol in the form of fuel and green chemical products, and is also developing the next generation technology for ethanol production, based on lignocellulosic biomass. The company's mission is, by using sustainable bio fuel, to actively promote and create opportunities for sustainable transportation in the future. Read more about SEKAB on www.sekab.com.