Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant is seeking a partner to build a 150,000 tons second-generation biofuel plant using the Sunliquid enzyme technology.
The company has secured the rights of the enzyme technology through the $2.5bn acquisition of Sued-Chemie. The process transforms the stalks and leaves left over from crop harvests into ethanol.
The developments are in the wake of growing demand for domestic biofuel production in US.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Clariant Biofuels & Derivatives business head Markus Rarbach stated that the company is currently engaged in talks with partners discussing commercialization of the technology.
The potential partners comprise agricultural companies, fuel distributors and bio-ethanol makers, revealed Rarbach.
He also claimed that the company’s production technology is more efficient and economical when compared to competitive methods in the market.