MATE

Project "MATE" data sheet

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 Partnership

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 Project objective

AutoDisplay GmbH is a German SME that is using its designer enzyme technology MATE to combat the environmental crisis caused by empty fruit basket (EFB) dumping within the palm oil production sector. By allowing the design of re-usable enzyme blends for specific biomasses allows palm oil biorefinery operators to comply with environmental regulations, as well as the demand for environmentally sustainable products from their clients. 60M tonnes of EFB waste is generated annually by the growing palm oil production sector. EFB disposal through incineration has been banned since 1996 as it was emitting 500M tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, contributing 1.4% of global net CO2 emissions. This increased land dumping of EFB whose decomposition causes high levels of methane emissions and water table pollution. Due to the lack of commercial and political incentives, R&D of biomass industrial enzyme technologies has been directed to starchy biomass feedstocks. Thus, no specific enzyme technology has been developed for the treatment of the specific fibrous structure and high lignin content of EFB, which makes it recalcitrant to currently available enzyme treatments at an industrial scale. With our MATE technology we have a unique advantage within the growing €58B palm oil market that is supplied from 782 palm oil mills globally. By incorporating the MATE technology within a full Engineering-Procurement-Construction (EPC) package we can offer a turn-key product for palm mills owners seeking to re-engineer, or build from scratch, a self-sufficient and environmentally friendly palm oil biorefinery. The MATE system allows (i) savings upward of 60% of enzyme costs for EFB processing, (ii) compliance with environmental legislations and consumer sensitivities regarding EFB waste treatment, as well as (iii) opening up a new revenue channel for the sale of the 2nd generation sugars produced by the MATE saccharification of EFB worth potentially €5.5B globally.