Verenium and Alfa Laval Announce Collaboration on Purifine(R) PLC Enzyme
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Verenium Corporation (Nasdaq: VRNM - News), a pioneer in the development of high-performance specialty enzymes and next-generation cellulosic ethanol, today announced it has signed an agreement with Alfa Laval, a leading global provider of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling technologies, to jointly market enzymatic degumming of vegetable oils using Verenium’s Purifine PLC enzyme and Alfa Laval’s engineering services and equipment. Purifine enzymatic degumming is a novel process that significantly increases yields in edible oil production and can have additional benefits in refining the Purifine-degummed oil. Use of Purifine enzymatic degumming also enhances yields of biodiesel from crude oil.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alfa Laval is able to market Purifine enzymatic degumming packaged with their process engineering equipment and services to customers processing vegetable oils for edible and biodiesel use. As part of the agreement, Verenium will support Alfa Laval’s marketing efforts and recommend their engineering services to target customers. Verenium maintains the right to conduct independent marketing and sales activities.
“Verenium is pleased to be working with Alfa Laval to expand Purifine’s global market penetration in the edible oil industry,” said Janet Roemer, Verenium’s Executive Vice President, Specialty Enzymes Business. “Together, our companies offer a comprehensive solution to increase efficiencies in edible oil and biodiesel production. Customers implementing Purifine enzymatic degumming through Alfa Laval have the security of process performance guarantees from a highly reputable, leading-edge engineering services company with proven technology and know-how in the edible-oils and biofuels industries.”
“Alfa Laval welcomes the collaboration with Verenium to bring leading edge enzyme technology to customers in the edible oil and biodiesel industries,” said Bent Sarup, General Manager for Alfa Laval’s Edible Oil Technology Business. “Use of the unique Purifine enzyme in combination with Alfa Laval’s equipment and plant design experience will enable customers to make significant steps to improve oil yields and separation efficiencies, thus fitting well with Alfa Laval’s corporate mission of optimizing our customer’s processes time and time again.”
About Purifine
Verenium’s patented and novel Purifine enzyme facilitates improved operating efficiency and reduction in byproducts by allowing a higher percentage of the crude vegetable oil extracted from seeds to be recovered and converted into edible oil or biodiesel. In conventional processing phospholipid impurities are removed as emulsified gums with an associated oil yield loss. Purifine enzyme works by reacting with the phospholipids releasing both the oil entrained in the gum and the oil-component of the phospholipids. Compared to other degumming methods, oil yield losses are reduced by up to 75% using Purifine enzymatic degumming, depending on the phospholipid content of the oil. Purifine PLC also offers significant benefits to the refining process by improving operating efficiency, and reducing the need for harsh chemicals and other processing aids.
About Verenium
Verenium Corporation is a leader in the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol, an environmentally-friendly and renewable transportation fuel, as well as high-performance specialty enzymes for applications within the biofuels, industrial, and animal health markets. The Company possesses integrated, end-to-end capabilities and cutting-edge technology in pre-treatment, novel enzyme development, fermentation and project development for next-generation biofuels. Through a joint venture with BP, the Company is moving rapidly to commercialize its proprietary technology for the production of ethanol from a wide array of non-food feedstocks, including dedicated energy crops, agricultural waste, and wood products. In addition to the vast potential for biofuels, a multitude of large-scale industrial opportunities exist for the Company for products derived from the production of low-cost, biomass-derived sugars.
Verenium’s Specialty Enzyme business harnesses the power of enzymes to create a broad range of specialty products to meet high-value commercial needs. Verenium’s world class R&D organization is renowned for its capabilities in the rapid screening, identification, and expression of enzymes-proteins that act as the catalysts of biochemical reactions. For more information on Verenium, visit http://www.verenium.com.
About Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling. The company’s equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol.
Alfa Laval’s products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications. Alfa Laval’s worldwide organization works closely with customers in nearly 100 countries to help them stay ahead in the global arena. For further information on Alfa Laval, visit http://www.alfalaval.com.