Vortmax, this deal with Novozymes was made around 2008-9, and as far as I can determine, no cellulosic ethanol plants have yet been put into production in China nor anywhere else, I think, using enzymes to extract the sugars from cellulose( sugar is then converted to ethanol by traditional processes). This company produces enzymes and other chemicals, and wants to utilize their enzymes in making cellulosic ethanol.
I have no evidence of a sound, economical process being available using enzymes, contrary to BFRE's concentrated acid hydrolysis technology, which was proven out technically and economically in Japan a few years ago. It appears to me the Chinese have given up on Novozymes Corp., and were drawn to Bluefire with a proven process. They are now years behind their original timeline, and should therefore move rapidly in helping put up the Fulton plant with BFRE, in order to verify all the earlier work done in Japan, and even earlier small process work in the US.
If I am right on this, I would expect the Chinese to be encouraging the DOE to change their minds on stopping further funding. In the last resort, if DOE remains steadfast, the Chinese may even provide this assistance themselves, in order to get their huge project running. Once Fulton is in operation, and proven to be a viable operation, which I fully expect to be the case, there should be no limit to how fast China expands their cellulosic ethanol plants using the Bluefire(Arkenol) process.
