New technology increases cellulosic ethanol level

Quad County Corn Processors, after four years of research into an $8.5 million (€6.4 million) expansion, has developed a technology to make 2 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol each year via corn kernel fibre feedstock.

The process, which ferments the starch first and then the fibre rather than a concurrent process that does both at the same time, is expected to increase the 35 million gallon plant's annual capacity by about 6%.

General manager Delayne Johnson said the investment will ‘allow us to produce more ethanol from the same amount of corn, help us contribute to the nation’s supply of cellulosic ethanol and continue to lower prices at the pump for consumers’.

He adds the new cellulosic process also will boost the plant's corn oil extraction by about 300% and create a distillers grain product that is higher in protein and lower in fibre: ‘With the new process the distillers grain material will be more similar to corn gluten meal.’