A newly isolated soil fungus, Penicillium sp. TG2, had cellulase activities that were comparable to those of Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30, a common commercial strain used for cellulase production. The maximal and specific activities were 1.27 U/mL and 2.28 U/mg for endoglucanase, 0.31 U/mL and 0.56 U/mg for exoglucanase, 0.54 U/mL and 1.03 U/mg for beta-glucosidase, and 0.45 U/mL and 0.81 U/mg for filter paper cellulase (FPase), respectively. Optimal FPase activity was at pH 5.0 and 50 degrees C. We used a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process, which employed the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus and Penicillium sp. TG2 cellulolytic enzymes, to produce ethanol from empty palm fruit bunches (EFBs), a waste product from the palm oil industry. The present findings indicate that Penicillium sp. TG2 has great potential as an alternative source of enzymes for saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.