Sweden-based Taurus Energy has become the latest member of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association. The company, which also has operations in Minnesota, is a research and development business that develops yeasts for ethanol production, among other industries.

A Taurus Energy scientist at the company’s lab in Gothenburg, Sweden. Photo provided by Taurus Energy.

“We are pleased to welcome Taurus Energy as our latest vendor member. Taurus Energy has made new forays into yeast technology and we look forward to working with them as they expand their presence in Minnesota,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

Taurus Energy holds over 10 patent families, and the company says it provides ethanol producers technology and methods to produce ethanol from new plant material as well as increase yields and profitability in corn ethanol production.

“For one thing there already exists a cultural bond between Sweden and Minnesota, including an ongoing technology exchange in the bioenergy field between our two countries,” said Eddy Christensson, COO of Taurus Energy’s Minnesota operations. He added, “From Taurus, we hope to participate in biofuel job-creating projects from the timberland in northern Minnesota and to work with existing corn ethanol plants to increase their yield and profitability from added cellulose ethanol production.”

In 2015, Taurus Energy and Canada’s Lallemand Biofuel & Distilled Spirits entered into a partnership to develop, market, sell and distribute the former’s Gen 2 XyloFerm yeast platform, which is a cellulosic yeast that offers minimal byproduct formation with a high tolerance for inhibitors common with cellulosic substrates. In addition, the two companies are in talks to supply this yeast technology to Sweetwater Energy’s proposed bio-chemical and ethanol biorefinery set to be built in Mountain Iron, Minnesota.