Novozymes, a Danish company that has its North American headquarters in Franklinton, has named a new CEO.

Peder Holk Nielsen, 56, will take over as president and CEO on April 1. Since 2007, Nielsen has been serving as an executive vice president and head of Enzyme Business, the company's unit that identifies markets for its enzymes. He earlier held positions in business development, research and development and sales and marketing.

“Peder Holk Nielsen’s ability to couple market insight and research capabilities is key to deliver innovation and to continue our growth strategy," said Henrik Gürtler, Chairman of the Board at Novozymes, in a statement. "He was a clear first choice in our international search process."

Nielsen replaces Steen Riisgaard, who had led the company for 12 years.

Novozymes, which employs more than 500 people in Franklinton, develops and supplies enzymes - biological molecules that speed up chemical reactions.

The company's global headquarters are in Copenhagen.

Triangle biofuels company Novozymes said Monday morning it has signed a global deal worth as much as $173 million a year to supply its specialty enzymes to ethanol refineries that will make fuel out of energy crops around the world, including a plant planned in North Carolina.

The Danish company makes enzymes that break down plant leaves and stems into ethanol fuels for use in automobiles and trucks. Under natural conditions, the conversion of plant material to fossil fuels can take millions of years. 

The joint marketing agreement with Beta Renwables is expected to supply enzymes to 15 to 25 new cellulosic biofuels facilities planned in the next three to five years. One such facility is in operation in Italy and another is planned in this state to be operational in Clinton by 2014.

The $170 million planned Clinton plant in Sampson County would rely heavily on an energy crop called Arundo donax, a giant reed that is considered invasive in many parts of the world. The facility is planned by Chemtex International and strongly backed by the N.C. Biofuels Center, but is opposed by some scientists at N.C. State University and various environmental organizations that say Arundo could become the next kudzu.

As part of the joint marketing agreement, Novozymes will acquire 10 percent of Beta Renwables, which is partly owned by Chemtex.

Novozymes employs 500 people at its North American headquarters in Franklinton, about 30 miles north of Raleigh.

A local company in the biofuels industry has scored a bit role in the national debate over domestic ethanol subsidies versus importing foreign oil.

Novozymes, the Franklinton science company that makes the enzymes used in biofuel production, is featured in a new documentary entitled Freedom, which advocates for green fuel development as a way to break the nation's dependency on fossil fuels.

The 90-minute documentary will be showing tonight at no cost at the N.C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh at 7 p.m. The film's producers and Novozymes executives will be on hand to answer questions and discuss policy.

Ethanol and other biofuels have been a flash point for controversy in recent years as members of Congress have waged rhetorical campaigns to end subsidies and other support for ethanol and biodiesel.

Novozymes, a Danish company that employs more than 465 people at its North American headquarters in Franklinton, will acquire the crop science subsidiary of a German conglomerate, continuing to beef up its bioagriculture business.

Novozymes announced this morning it will pay $275 million for EMD/Merck Crop BioScience, which is owned by Merck KGaA of Germany. That company isn't affiliated with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co.

The acquisition will give Novozymes a company that makes natural inoculants to improve the health of crops such as soybeans, peanuts, corn and wheat. EMD/Merck, which is based in Milwaukee and employs about 165 people, will be added to Novozymes' BioBusiness unit.

Diplomats from 15 countries have come to the Triangle to study cutting-edge developments in clean energy and smart grid technology.

Tour organizer Lynn Van Fleit said the Triangle, with its concentration of high-tech companies and academic research projects, is developing a reputation for green energy innovation.

"You're becoming a hub," she said. "I'm so impressed."

The diplomats will spend today through Friday visiting local companies and nonprofit research organizations, starting with RTI International and Cisco Systems.

Cisco, a California computer-networking company with a massive campus in Research Triangle Park, is active in corporate sustainability practices and smart-grid development. RTI, a nonprofit research organization in RTP, is developing alternative energies and smart grid technologies.

When you're ranked on the list of great places to work in the entire United States, you don't quibble with where you fall on the list. You just celebrate it.

That's what Novozymes did this week when the Danish biochemical company found out it was ranked No. 17 on a list of the country's top 25 medium-sized companies.

The partnership of two Triangle companies has a produced a new processor to chemically convert sludge into fuel, which could boost the struggling biodiesel industry. Read more about it here.

Clean fuel producers are unveiling an experimental production facility this morning that will test making biodiesel from sludge and other substances that are currently unsuitable for green energy production.

Typically, biodiesel is made from fry grease, which can be chemically processed and purified. But sludge from kitchens, known as "brown grease," and thick goo from chicken processing facilities is too degraded for biodiesel conversion with conventional methods.

The state has more than 8 million gallons of sludge, which is typically composted or put in landfills, according the N.C. Biofuels Center. Biodiesel can be used a substitute for petroleum-based diesel fuel.

Top officials with Novozymes are touting a breakthrough that could reduce the cost of ethanol and make it more competitive with traditional gasoline.

The Danish company, which employs more than 465 people at its North American headquarters in Franklinton, is the world's largest producer of enzymes used to make a variety of products, including ethanol.

The new enzymes that Novozymes announced at the National Ethanol Conference in Florida this morning will allow the biofuel industry to produce ethanol from woodchips, wheat straw and other biomass for less than $2 per gallon.

"Biofuel producers now have a critical component to turn agriculture waste into a competitive alternative to gasoline," said CEO Steen Rissgaard, in a prepared statement.

Here's hoping Adam Monroe knows he's now in ACC sports country.

Monroe, 43, is the new North American president of Novozymes, a Danish biochemical company with more than 450 employees at its U.S. headquarters in Franklinton.

The official announcement notes that Monroe was "born and raised in Arkansas, received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas and is a diehard Razorback fan."

Monroe replaces Lars Hansen, who has returned to Denmark to head the company’s European business.

Novozymes is the world's largest producer of enzymes and has seen a surge in demand tied to ethanol production.

The company recently completed a $26 million expansion to its Franklinton facility, adding more research, lab and office space. The plant also supplies enzymes for other uses, including brewing beer, making detergents and treating wastewater.