• Nedalco and cellulosic ethanol
• Fuel ethanol
  • What is fuel ethanol
  • Why fuel ethanol
  • The production of fuel ethanol
  • Fuel ethanol in figures
  • Selling fuel ethanol
  • Sustainability
• C5 yeast technology

Nedalco and cellulosic ethanol

Nedalco is convinced that producing fuel ethanol from primarily agricultural feedstocks (the so-called first-generation biofuels) is not viable in the long term. Commodities such as wheat, corn and sugar crops are mainly used for food and feed and as a result their prices are often too high to compete with oil.

Concerns regarding sustainability constitute another key reason for moving away from primary feedstocks. We believe that first-generation biofuels can be produced in a manner that is sustainable and that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. This will, however, require the fuel ethanol industry to move towards using feedstocks that are not used primarily as food and that are available more abundantly. These feedstocks contain varying relative amounts of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin (i.e. fibers, straw). This represents a tremendous technology challenge that Nedalco is uniquely positioned to meet.

Mission
Nedalco’s mission extends beyond developing new technology. We are also committed to leveraging more than a century of experience in making ethanol from residue streams to forge new technological breakthroughs with the ultimate goal of producing cellulosic ethanol on a commercial and industrial scale.