Syngenta has Contracted with 16 Ethanol Plant to Use its Enogen Corn

Syngenta has announced that it has established agreements with 16 ethanol plants with a combined production capacity of more than 1 billion gallons to use its biotech Enogen corn. Moreover, as the company’s expansion plans continue on pace, Syngenta in currently in talks with multiple additional plants, as well.

The Enogen enzyme technology is an exclusive in-seed innovation from Syngenta that is the first and only biotech-designed corn custom made to enhance ethanol production through the reduction of viscosity of corn mash and the elimination of the need to add a liquid form of the enzyme.

“This breakthrough viscosity reduction can lead to unprecedented levels of solids loading, which directly contributes to increased throughput and yield, as well as critical cost savings from reduced natural gas, energy, water and chemical usage in ethanol plants,” said Jack Bernens, head of Enogen for Syngenta.

Farmers that plant Enogen earn an average premium of 40 cents per bushel, and in 2015, Enogen corn was grown on 225,000 acres. Next season, it is expected to be grown on 400,000 acres, indicating its rapid rate of adoption. When considering an average yield of 165 bushels per acre, it is expected that Enogen corn will gain growers additional revenue of $26 million in 2016 through per-bushel premiums.

“The agreements we have in place with a steadily increasing number of plants will enable them to source alpha amylase directly from growers and keep enzyme dollars in those local communities,” Bernens added. “Enogen adds significant incremental value at the local level for communities that rely on their ethanol plant’s success.”