Process for enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material and fermentation of sugars

1. A process for preparation of a sugar product from ligno-cellulosic material, comprising:

enzymatic hydrolysis, in a reactor, of ligno-cellulosic material using an enzyme composition comprising at least two cellulases and whereby the enzyme composition at least comprises GH61;

whereby between 0.1 and 7.5 mg enzyme composition/g glucan (on dry matter and enzyme as protein) or between 0.05 and 3.0 mg enzyme composition/g feedstock (on dry matter and enzyme as protein) is used; and

wherein

the enzymatic hydrolysis occurs for a first part of time and a subsequent second part of time; and

(i) during the first part of time oxygen is added to the ligno-cellulosic material to maintain a concentration of dissolved oxygen in the range of 0.02 mol/m 3 to 0.12 mol/m 3 , during the second part of time the concentration of dissolved oxygen is at a concentration at least 50% less than during the first part of time, and the first part of time is 2% to 80% of the total enzymatic hydrolysis time; or

(ii) during the first part of time dissolved oxygen in the ligno-cellulosic material is at a concentration that is at least 50% less than during the second part of time, during the second part of time oxygen is added to the ligno-cellulosic material to maintain a concentration of dissolved oxygen in the range of 0.02 mol/m 3 to 0.12 mol/m 3 , and the second part of time is 2% to 80% of the total enzymatic hydrolysis time;

and

dissolved oxygen is measured under normal atmospheric pressure and at about 62° C.;

the reactor has a volume of 1 m 3 or more; and

the ligno-cellulosic material has a dry matter content of 10 wt % or more.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein oxygen is added during the first part of time, and the dissolved oxygen concentration is maintained in the range of 0.02 mol/m 3 to 0.045 mol/m 3 .

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein oxygen is added during the second part of time, and the dissolved oxygen concentration is maintained in the range of 0.02 mol/m 3 to 0.045 mol/m 3 .

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme composition used retains activity for 30 hours or more.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrolysis is conducted at a temperature of 50° C. or more.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme composition is from a fungus or the enzyme composition comprises a fungal enzyme.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dry matter content is 14 to 33 wt %.

8. A process according to claim 1 in which the enzymatic hydrolysis takes place in a batch, fed batch and/or continuous culture reactor.

9. A process according to claim 1 in which oxygen is introduced as an oxygen-containing gas, in the form of bubbles.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme composition is from a fungus, and the fungus is a microorganism of the genus Rasamsonia.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme composition comprises a fungal enzyme, and the fungal enzyme is a Rasamsonia enzyme.

12. The process of claim 1 , further comprising pre-treatment of the ligno-cellulosic material, prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis.

13. The process of claim 1 , further comprising washing of the ligno-cellulosic material, prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis.

14. The process of claim 1 , further comprising recovery of a sugar product from the enzymatic hydrolysis.

15. The process of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis, pre-treatment of the ligno-cellulosic material and washing of the pre-treated ligno-cellulosic material.

16. The process of claim 1 , further comprising pre-treatment of the ligno-cellulosic material prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis and recovery of a sugar product from the enzymatic hydrolysis.

17. The process of claim 1 , further comprising pre-treatment of the ligno-cellulosic material and washing of the pre-treated ligno-cellulosic material, prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis, and recovery of a sugar product from the enzymatic hydrolysis.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein oxygen is added during the first part of time, and the first part of time is 2% to 30% of the total enzymatic hydrolysis time.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein first part of time is 5% to 20% of the total enzymatic hydrolysis time.

20. The process of claim 1 , wherein oxygen is added during the second part of time, and the second part of time is 12% to 50% of the total enzymatic hydrolysis time.

21. The process of claim 20 , wherein the second part of time is 20% to 40% of the total enzymatic hydrolysis time.

22. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactor has a volume of 10 m 3 or more.

23. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactor has a volume of 50 m 3 or more.

24. The process of claim 1 , wherein oxygen is added during the first part of time, and during the second part of time the concentration of dissolved oxygen is at a concentration at least 70% less than during the first part of time.

25. The process of claim 1 , wherein oxygen is added during the first part of time, and during the second part of time the concentration of dissolved oxygen is at a concentration at least 90% less than during the first part of time.

26. The process of claim 1 , wherein oxygen is added during the second part of time, and during the first part of time the concentration of dissolved oxygen is at a concentration at least 70% less than during the second part of time.

27. The process of claim 1 , wherein oxygen is added during the second part of time, and during the first part of time the concentration of dissolved oxygen is at a concentration at least 90% less than during the second part of time.

28. The process of claim 1 , further comprising, following said enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation of the hydrolysed ligno-cellulosic material to produce a fermentation product.