Enerkem vs Syngenta: Who's the Best?

Background: This is a first round, International Regional match-up between #6 seed Enerkem and #11 seed Syngenta in the 2011 Transformative Technologies tourney, from Biofuels Digest.

Voting: Open to all Biofuels Digest subscribers. Voting links are in the Biofuels Digest daily newsletter. To subscribe (free), visit here.

The winner gets: Most votes advances to the second-round (round of 32), and a shot at the Biofuels Sweet Sixteen.

The loser: Goes home.

Laurels: Enerkem is the 16th ranked company in the 2010-11 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy poll. Syngenta is currently unranked, but placed #33 in the 2009-10 poll.

The match-up: Canadian waste-to-fuels breakout leader, meets renowned plant biology and seed development giant.

Syngenta is now commercializing Enogen, New to the world product – a commonly used (corn amylase) enzyme delivered in a revolutionary way that creates added value for ethanol plants and corn producers alike. Dry-grind ethanol plants using Enogen corn can realize an additional value of 8 to 10 cents per gallon due to energy savings and increased throughput. The company completed its trial for proof of performance (Western Plains Energy, 2009-2010), and is seeking its first commercialization in ethanol plants.

Enerkem is pioneering a new line of chemicals and fuels made from garbage instead of oil or other fossil fuels. Enerkem’s cost-effective conversion technology transforms waste – such as unrecyclable household garbage, demolition debris and used utility poles – into chemical-grade synthesis gas (syngas), which is used to create advanced ethanol, acetates and other useful clean chemicals. The company currently operates two facilities in Quebec and, in 2010, began construction of a municipal waste-to-biofuels plant in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2011, the company expects to break ground on a similar facility in Pontotoc, Mississippi for which it is receiving financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Energy (DOE).

Deep dive data on Syngenta

Syngenta’s complete Hot 50 / Transformative Technologies profile is here.