French Deinove aims to build plant for bioethanol technology testing - report

Jan 21, 2014 - French biofuels and green technology company Deinove (EPA:ALDEI) plans to build a pilot plant to test a high-yield process for the production of bioethanol, daily La Tribune said, quoting CEO Emmanuel Petiot.

Deinove is currently using infrastructure of pharma group Sanofi (EPA:SAN), but wishes to have its own plant, which may be set up in Montpellier, southern France. The company is already in talks with local authorities to buy the land and finance the project, which will cost some EUR 12 million (USD 16.2m).

Deinove said last week that its technology, based on the Deinococcus bacteria, now enables to get 9% ethanol, against 3% in September 2012, representing an alcohol content so far unprecedented and well above the target set by the company at the time of the programme's launch.

The company will soon start a testing campaign in 300-litre bioreactors, whose results will be announced before the end of the first half of 2014. Industrial production is seen to be launched in 2015.

Deinove, which employs 45, is about to set up its main office in Montpellier.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.353)

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