World’s Biotechnology Leader Launches New Yeast Technology for Ethanol Producers
Novozymes, The world leader in biological solutions based in Denmark, announced the launch of its next yeast technology, Innova Fit, the first advanced non-GM yeast, which it says reduces biofuel production bottlenecks caused by conventional and basic yeast while Increasing ethanol yield up to 2% on average. This is technology advancements for fermentation never available before and provide high benefit for ethanol producer meeting their market and production demands.
“Conventional yeasts often cause plants to struggle with the rigors of today’s fermentation challenges and production demands—and producers are left without choices and hands are tied,” said Brian Brazeau, Novozymes’ vice president, bioenergy commercial, and president, North America. “Our goal is to advance the entire industry through our microbial expertise; Innova Fit overcomes the major challenge of advancing and debottlenecking fermentation.”

According to Novozuymes, Innova Fit enables on average up to 2% more ethanol yield during fermentation temperature excursions, up to 36 degrees Celsius (96 degrees Fahrenheit), reducing variability and process upsets. The company also said the yeast product was developed to withstand the rigors of hard running plants, noting that Innova Fit can ferment up to 36 percent dry solids while tolerating high ethanol titers in fermentation. Information released by Novozymes indicates Innova Fit can operate in a wide range of fermentation times, excels in fermentations between 55 and 65 hours, and can increase ethanol yield by up to 2 percent. The company also noted the use of Innnova Fit can reduce a plant’s need for yeast nutritional supplements, reducing costs. The Innova Fit converts more sugar for cleaner fermentations, growing your plant’s efficiency and bottom line.
“The Innova launches together deliver the most holistic, sustainable, and advanced approach to ethanol production, all based on customer needs and our commitment to a better tomorrow using the power of biology,” concluded Brazeau. “With the launch today, delivering Innova Fit to the industry enables another segment of producers to enjoy production technology advancements for fermentation never available before – meeting their market and production demands.”
To address these potential production bottlenecks, Novozymes, in partnership with industrial yeast specialist Microbiogen, launched the Innova platform in 2018. This technology uses novel non-GM Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast to produce bioethanol from starch released from corn and other grains. The starch is released from the grains using Novozymes’ tailored companion enzyme products. The fact that the yeast strain is non-GM means that it will also be marketable in the EU, which has comparably stringent regulations limiting the commercial use of gene-edited or genetically modified organisms.

Geoff Bell, CEO of Microbiogen, also highlighted the fact that there “has been little innovation of non-GM yeast for ethanol producers in over 10 years. “The announcement of the new Innova product means that producers wanting to use non-GM technology now have a new tool that provides the ability to overcome production constraints and maximize fermentation performance.” Microbiogen will continue to work closely with Novozymes to develop new yeast technology for the global biofuels market. They will focus on next-generation yeast with even greater resistance to tough conditions and higher ethanol concentrations.
Since 2018, Novozymes has introduced four yeast solutions as part of its Innova platform. In less than two years, Innova yeasts have been widely adopted by the industry. The focus remains on bringing Innova technology for improved reliability and trust, to debottleneck plants – freeing them up to improve plant performance and maximise input investment. Novozymes will continue to deliver solutions to customers to help them reach their targets, such as starch, fibre, corn oil, protein, unique end markets and future biorefinery opportunities.