Process for enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material and fermentation of sugars

1. A process for preparation of a sugar product from lignocellulosic material, comprising:

a) optionally, pretreatment of the lignocellulosic material;

b) optionally, washing of the optionally pretreated lignocellulosic material;

c) fed-batch addition of the optionally washed and/or optionally pretreated lignocellulosic material to a first container that comprises an enzyme composition comprising at least two cellulases;

d) enzymatic hydrolysis of the optionally washed and/or optionally pretreated lignocellulosic material in the first container using the enzyme composition comprising at least two cellulases to liquefy the lignocellulosic material;

e) addition of the liquefied lignocellulosic material to a second container;

f) enzymatic hydrolysis of the liquefied lignocellulosic material in the second container using an enzyme composition comprising at least two cellulases to obtain a sugar product; and

g) optionally, recovery of the sugar product.

2. A process for preparation of a fermentation product from lignocellulosic material, comprising:

a) optionally, pretreatment of the lignocellulosic material;

b) optionally, washing of the optionally pretreated lignocellulosic material;

c) fed-batch addition of the optionally washed and/or optionally pretreated lignocellulosic material to a first container that comprises an enzyme composition comprising at least two cellulases;

d) enzymatic hydrolysis of the optionally washed and/or optionally pretreated lignocellulosic material in the first container using the enzyme composition comprising at least two cellulases to liquefy the lignocellulosic material;

e) addition of the liquefied lignocellulosic material to a second container;

f) enzymatic hydrolysis of the liquefied lignocellulosic material in the second container using an enzyme composition comprising at least two cellulases to obtain a hydrolysed lignocellulosic material;

g) optionally, recovery of the hydrolysed lignocellulosic material;

h) fermentation of the hydrolysed lignocellulosic material to produce a fermentation product; and

i) optionally, recovery of the fermentation product.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein additional enzymes are added during (d) and/or (f).

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the lignocellulosic material in the first container during (d) is controlled by adjusting the addition rate of the optionally washed and/or optionally pretreated lignocellulosic material.

5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the viscosity of the lignocellulosic material in the first container during (d) is kept below 1000 cP.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein an aqueous composition, optionally an aqueous enzyme composition comprising at least two cellulases, is added to the first container.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the first container and/or second container has a volume of at least 1 m 3 .

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzymatic hydrolysis time in (d) is 3 to 24 hours.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzymatic hydrolysis time in (f) is 3 to 120 hours.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzymatic hydrolysis in (d) and/or (f) is conducted at a temperature of 45° C. or more, optionally 50° C. or more and optionally at a temperature of 55° C. or more.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme composition is derived from a fungus, optionally a microorganism of the genus Rasamsonia , or the enzyme composition comprises a fungal enzyme, optionally a Rasamsonia enzyme.

12. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the fermentation in (h) is performed in the second container.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dry matter content at the end of the hydrolysis of (f) is 5 wt % or higher.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme composition is a whole fermentation broth.

15. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the fermentation in (h) is conducted with a microorganism that is able to ferment at least one C5 sugar.