Volkswagen to work with US biofuels firms Amyris and Solazyme

21 March 2012 13:11  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--Volkswagen will work with US biofuels firms Amyris and Solazyme to test biodiesel, the Germany-based car major said on Wednesday.

Volkswagen said that, under an agreement with Amyris and Solazyme, it would test and evaluate the effects of fuels produced by the two companies on Volkswagen’s clean-diesel technology and on the environment.

The automotive manufacturer said that partnerships with such firms would help ensure its leading role in the clean-diesel car market.

Amyris chief operating officer Mario Portela said the deal with Volkswagen would help his company gain acceptance for its fuels in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) car market.

Amyris already has a similar partnership in Brazil, where about 200 buses run on Amyris’s biodiesel blends, he added.

Amyris converts plant-sourced sugars into renewable hydrocarbons for fuel and chemical applications.

Solazyme has developed a technology that uses microalgae to develop renewable oil products.

Check out Doris de Guzman’s Green Chemicals blog for views on sustainability issues

By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

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