D3MAX helps ACE Ethanol to press ahead with cellulosic ethanol production

US technology company D3MAX has announced that its cellulosic ethanol technology is helping ACE Ethanol to produce “higher yields from corn fiber at lower costs”.

In February, D3MAX announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. Installed at ACE Ethanol, LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, the testing of the patented D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process and technology is underway with testing to be complete by June of 2017.

After analysing pilot test data, the D3MAX process has demonstrated better than expected results. Based on the latest information, the pilot test results indicate that the yield of xylose sugar from the xylan in corn fiber routinely exceeds 90% of the theoretical maximum yield, and overall sugar production in the pilot plant is better than the target yields.

“We’ve always been excited about developing the D3MAX technology based on our original projections,” said Mark Yancey, chief technology officer for D3MAX.

He added: “Now that we’ve seen the actual pilot facility begin to exceed our expectations, we’ve become even more confident that the D3MAX process can produce higher yields from corn fiber at lower costs.”

“I am very encouraged by preliminary results of the pilot test,” said Neal Kemmet, president and general manager at ACE Ethanol.

He added “Based upon the testing we have done to date, D3MAX may very well be the best option available for dry mill ethanol plants and will be able to be installed without significant downtime or interruption of ethanol production.”

In a statement, D3MAX said it plans to begin designing the first commercial-scale D3MAX plant this summer because the pilot test results have been so positive to date.