Flint Hills Resources gets green light from US EPA to use Edeniq technology for ethanol plant

US cellulosic and biorefining technology company Edeniq has announced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Flint Hills Resources’ registration of its 120 MGPY Shell Rock, Iowa, ethanol plant for cellulosic ethanol production using Edeniq’s Pathway Technology.

Shell Rock is the second plant to receive a cellulosic ethanol registration from the EPA after deploying Edeniq’s Pathway Technology. Pacific Ethanol’s Stockton plant received its cellulosic ethanol registration in September.

“We are greatly encouraged by the EPA’s rapid approval of this second registration,” said Brian Thome, president and CEO of Edeniq.

He added: “We are excited that a growing number of our customers are generating cellulosic ethanol, transforming the ethanol industry and benefiting our country.”

Ethanol boost

“Our goal is to create as much value out of every kernel of corn as possible,” said Jeremy Bezdek, Flint Hills Resources’ vice president of biofuels  and ingredients.

He added: “The Edeniq Pathway technology helps increase ethanol yields and corn oil recovery, and allows us to produce cellulosic ethanol. We appreciate the strong partnership Flint Hills has with Edeniq and look forward to evaluating the potential use of the Pathway technology at our other plants.”

“We would like to thank the Flint Hills team for their ongoing support as we position ourselves as the leader in the cellulosic ethanol industry,” said Cam Cast, chief operating officer of Edeniq.

He added: “Our team is working diligently to move plants through commercial trials and the EPA cellulosic ethanol registration process as quickly as possible despite a growing backlog.”

Edeniq’s Pathway Technology is the lowest-cost solution for producing cellulosic ethanol from corn kernel fiber utilizing existing fermenters at corn ethanol plants. Edeniq is the leader in developing analytical methods to quantify cellulosic ethanol co-produced with conventional ethanol during fermentation, which is required for EPA registration.