2019 November Ethanol Producer Magazine by BBI International

NOVEMBER 2019

MEASURING UP Consistency, Communication Vital for Lab Data Accuracy | PAGE 20

ALSO

An International Alcohol Education PAGE 26

High-Yield Hybrid PAGE 30

www.ethanolproducer.com

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ADVERTISER INDEX

EDITORIAL Editor Lisa Gibson lgibson@bbiinternational.com Associate Editor Matt Thompson mthompson@bbiinternational.com Copy Editor Jan Tellmann jtellmann@bbiinternational.com

ART

2020 National Ethanol Conference

CPM Roskamp Champion

Buckman

CTE Global, Inc.

Art Director Jaci Satterlund jsatterlund@bbiinternational.com Graphic Designer Raquel Boushee rboushee@bbiinternational.com

D3MAX LLC

DuPont Industrial Biosciences Fagen Inc.

PUBLISHING & SALES CEO Joe Bryan jbryan@bbiinternational.com President Tom Bryan tbryan@bbiinternational.com Vice President, Marketing & Sales John Nelson jnelson@bbiinternational.com Business Development Director Howard Brockhouse hbrockhouse@bbiinternational.com Senior Account Manager/Bioenergy Team Leader Chip Shereck cshereck@bbiinternational.com Circulation Manager Jessica Tiller jtiller@bbiinternational.com Marketing & Advertising Manager Marla DeFoe mdefoe@bbiinternational.com

Ringneck Energy Walter Wendland Little Sioux Corn Processors Steve Roe Commonwealth Agri-Energy Mick Henderson Aemetis Advanced Fuels Eric McAfee Western Plains Energy Derek Peine Front Range Energy Dan Sanders Jr.

ICM, Inc.

Growth Energy

Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits

Novozymes

Nalco Water, An Ecolab Company

Phibro Ethanol Performance Group Solenis LLC

Stover Controls

Victory Energy Operations, LLC

4 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

18-19

Customer Service Please call 1-866-746-8385 or email us at service@bbiinternational.com. Subscriptions to Ethanol Producer Magazine are free of charge to everyone with the exception of a shipping and handling charge for anyone outside the United States. To subscribe, visit www.EthanolProducer.com or you can send your mailing address and payment (checks made out to BBI International) to: Ethanol Producer Magazine Subscriptions, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. You can also fax a subscription form to 701-746-5367. Back Issues, Reprints and Permissions Select back issues are available for $3.95 each, plus shipping. Article reprints are also available for a fee. For more information, contact us at 866-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com. Advertising Ethanol Producer Magazine provides a specific topic delivered to a highly targeted audience. We are committed to editorial excellence and highquality print production. To find out more about Ethanol Producer Magazine advertising opportunities, please contact us at 866-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com. Letters to the Editor We welcome letters to the editor. Send to Ethanol Producer Magazine Letters to the Editor, 308 2nd Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203 or email to lgibson@bbiinternational.com. Please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space.

Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts or samples before recycling

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NOVEMBER 2019 VOLUME 25

DEPARTMENTS 4

AD INDEX

EDITOR'S NOTE

EVENTS CALENDAR

DRIVE

LAB DATA

Informed Decisions

Tips to maintain accurate, useful data By Matt Thompson

New Evidence on the Environmental Benefits of Biofuels By Emily Skor

GLOBAL SCENE

PHIBRO ETHANOL PERFORMANCE GROUP

EVENT

Ontario: Canada's Ethanol Powerhouse By Andrea Kent

GRASSROOTS VOICE

BUSINESS BRIEFS

MARKETPLACE

CONTENTS

FEATURES

More to Learn By Lisa Gibson

ISSUE 11

Interaction Encouraged Alcohol School mixes fuel, beverage education By Lisa Gibson

No Giant Package Necessary By Ron Lamberty

LALLEMAND BIOFUELS & DISTILLED SPIRITS

INNOVATION

Breeding Success

Corn hybrid geared toward ethanol industry By Matt Thompson

ON THE COVER

Micropipettes sit on a counter in a Phibro Ethanol Performance Group lab.

PHOTO: PHIBRO ETHANOL PERFORMANCE GROUP

BROWNSEED GENETICS

Ethanol Producer Magazine: (USPS No. 023-974) November 2019, Vol. 25, Issue 11. Ethanol Producer Magazine is published monthly by BBI International. Principal Office: 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Periodicals Postage Paid at Grand Forks, North Dakota and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Ethanol Producer Magazine/Subscriptions, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203.

6 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

EDITOR'S NOTE

More to Learn In the weeks leading up to putting this magazine together, I learned quite a bit about ethanol plant labs, their roles and procedures. And I must admit, I’m a little afraid of the lab. The pressure, the importance

Lisa Gibson

Editor lgibson@bbiinternational.com

of each crucial step, the details, the margin for error. It takes passion, patience, dedication and extreme intelligence to work there. The data produced in the lab is vital to the plant’s operation and can be handled many ways. In our cover story, starting on page 20, Associate Editor Matt Thompson relays advice from the experts on collecting, interpreting and acting on data. He goes through a list of factors that can contaminate samples, strategies to improve monitoring in the lab, equipment maintenance and communication among personnel. Check page 23 for tips on how to ensure strong data and what to do with that data, whether it’s unexpected or normal. Most of what I’ve learned recently about labs and the work done in them comes from The Alcohol School, a Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits event held in Montreal, Quebec, every year. I got an invitation to the school this year, expecting to learn about yeast, enzymes and fermentation. And I did. But I also learned about details in almost all steps in the ethanol-production process. The speakers, many from research and academia, detailed the process steps so clearly that I do feel more knowledgeable about my industry having listened to them. It’s about educating everyone on the entire process, for a better overall understanding, says Angus Ballard, president and CEO of LBDS. I even came home with a certificate of my Alcohol School completion. It hangs in my cubicle. Find out more about the event on page 26. Our third and final feature in this issue looks at a partnership that brings new corn hybrids to ethanol. The varieties are higher in oil content and essential amino acids. The partners are running trials in ethanol plants to track increases in corn oil extraction and distillers grains nutrients. We’ll bring you up to date on the results. Find it on page 30. I learn new things with each magazine we put together, and each event I attend. Our industry is vast and I continuously marvel at the chemistry and complexity of the ethanolproduction process. It seems there will always be more for me to learn. And that’s a good thing.

FOR INDUSTRY NEWS: WWW.ETHANOLPRODUCER.COM OR FOLLOW US: 8 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

TWITTER.COM/ETHANOLMAGAZINE

EVENTS CALENDAR

2020 International Biomass Conference & Expo February 3-5, 2020 Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Nashville, Tennessee

Now in its 13th year, the International Biomass Conference & Expo is expected to bring together more than 800 attendees, 100 exhibitors and 100 speakers from more than 40 countries. It is the largest gathering of biomass professionals and academics in the world. The conference provides relevant content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. In addition to abundant networking opportunities, the conference is renowned for its outstanding programmingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;powered by Biomass Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;that maintains a strong focus on commercial-scale biomass production, new technology, and near-term research and development. 866-746-8385 www.BiomassConference.com

2020 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo June 15-17, 2020 Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis, Minnesota

From its inception, the mission of this event has remained constant: The FEW delivers timely presentations with a strong focus on commercialscale ethanol productionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from quality control and yield maximization to regulatory compliance and fiscal management. The FEW is the ethanol industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier forum for unveiling new technologies and research findings. The program is primarily focused on optimizing grain ethanol operations while also covering cellulosic and advanced ethanol technologies. 866-746-8385 www.FuelEthanolWorkshop.com

Please check our website for upcoming webinars www.ethanolproducer.com/pages/webinar

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DRIVE

New Evidence on the Environmental Benefits of Biofuels By Emily Skor

As regular readers know, biofuel producers and farm advocates are working tirelessly to ensure that 2020 biofuel targets from the U.S. EPA restore vital opportunities for growth. But that’s not the only battle taking place at EPA. Right now, the agency is also crafting a rule that will set new goal posts for renewable energy in 2021 and 2022. When Congress established the Renewable Fuel Standard, it included a mechanism directing the EPA to reevaluate targets if certain blending thresholds weren’t met over time. We hit that trigger last year, which means a so-called “reset” proposal could emerge at any time, clearing the way for the biofuels industry to showcase the many economic and environmental benefits that result from the RFS. Under the law, the EPA is directed to evaluate a range of factors in setting any annual renewable volume obligations under the RFS, including energy security, infrastructure and environmental impacts, among others. Few of those factors have been the subject of more oil-backed misinformation than the environmental benefits of biofuels. Time and again, we’ve seen efforts to suppress homegrown biofuels and hold back America’s clean energy future through the same outdated and misleading claims. That’s why the team at Growth Energy has been working to build a stronger RFS by highlighting the continued success of a strong RFS program. As part of that effort, we recently released a new report authored by Ramboll, a global research and management firm specializing in sustainable development. It presents the latest data on U.S. agricultural innovation, provides a detailed review of recent studies and illuminates gaps in EPA’s understanding of U.S. biofuel production. It also shows how—from the lab to the farm—new innovations have allowed us to ramp up biofuel production year after year, without expanding our environmental footprint. Among its key findings, the authors note what we’ve known all along: “There are no proven adverse impacts to land and water associated with increased corn ethanol production under the RFS. Accordingly, EPA could decide to reset renewable volumes in a manner that would incentivize greater production and consumption of conventional corn ethanol in U.S. transportation fuel without discernible adverse environmental impacts to

land and water, to the extent any exist. The major factors supporting this conclusion are that continued improvements in agricultural practices and technology indicate that increased demand for corn grown for ethanol in the U.S. can be met without the need for additional acres of corn planted, while at the same time, reducing potential impacts to water quality or water supplies.” The Ramboll findings also debunk the misconception that increased ethanol production cannot be accomplished without a growing environmental footprint. “Acres planted in corn across the U.S. has remained close to or below the total acres planted in the early 1930s, despite increases in demand for corn as human food, animal feed and biofuels over this nearly 90-year period,” Ramboll explains. “The increase in demand has largely been met by an approximately seven-fold increase in yield (bushels per acre).” On water use, they note, “Advancements in technology and water management techniques have continued to increase the efficiency in water resource management by stabilizing, and potentially reducing, the overall volume of water necessary for corn growth. … Additionally, the USDA has shown that irrigation for all crops, including corn, has decreased even as the farming acreage has essentially been stable over the past 35 years.” Perhaps most importantly, the Ramboll authors correct a fundamental flaw in EPA’s 2018 Second Triennial Report to Congress, which provides no comparison of the environmental impact of biofuels against destructive, petroleum-based alternatives. Ramboll writes, “spills of petroleum, gasoline and a wide range of other fluids used in the exploration, production and refining processes as well as land use change to support those activities all have adverse effect on water quality, ecosystems (including wetlands), and wildlife. Additionally, both conventional and unconventional oil and gas extraction place demands on water supply. Failure to address impacts associated with gasoline production relative to impacts from ethanol production does not present a balanced view of alternative energy sources and casts a negative bias on ethanol production.” In each case, the findings are supported by a wide body of research from public, private, and academic sources. Our goal is that regulators will make use of this data to make more informed decisions about the future growth of biofuels based on sound science, not misinformation. If they do, the upcoming reset will ensure that the RFS of tomorrow aims higher than the RFS of yesterday. Author: Emily Skor CEO, Growth Energy 202.545.4000 eskor@growthenergy.org

10 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

THIN STILLAGE CLARIFICATION WITHOUT A CLARIFIER, ISN’T REALLY CLEAR… IS IT?

OPTIMIZE PLANT PERFORMANCE AND STEP TOWARDS CO-PRODUCT PRODUCTION Fluid Quip Technologies’ Thin Stillage Clarification (TSC™) system uses the FQ Clarifier centrifuge to give your facility the best performance while reducing the number of decanters required. The FQT TSC system fully clarifies evaporator feed AND backset to significantly improve evaporator performance, oil yield, and remove solids from backset. TSC is also a first step toward the proven MSC™ protein production technology allowing plants to achieve optimal performance today and prepare for protein options in the future.

Benefit

Plain Thin Stillage Clarification

TSCTM + Clarifier

Evaporator Feed Solids

<6% Total Solids <5% Total Solids

Soluble: Insoluble Ratio

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4:1

Increase U Value

10%

20%

Syrup Solids Achievable

50%

70%

Backset Solids

Unchanged

<3% Total Solids

Yield Benefit

N/A

Oil - Yes Ethanol - Yes

Plant Throughput Increase

N/A

Up to 10%

Plant Energy Saving

Possible

GOOD

DDGS Whole Stillage

Cake

Decanters (Existing)

BETTER

Centrate Clarifier

0/F

EVAP

Syrup

Additional Corn Oil

U/F U/F Decanter

Clarified Backset

Cake

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Patent Pending

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GLOBAL SCENE

Ontario: Canada’s Ethanol Powerhouse By Andrea Kent

In our industry, we know that our best advocates often come from local communities. Corn farmers,

production workers, truck drivers, engineers and specialty tradespeople, even the corner store and coffee shop up the street—they all know the value a local ethanol plant creates. Ontario is no different. Located in central Canada, Ontario is the country’s most populous province. Here you’ll find the nation’s capital city, Ottawa, and its most populous city, Toronto (62.9 million in the greater area). You will also find abundant agriculture and a corn belt covering much of the southwestern area of the province. It’s a province abundant in natural resources and manufacturing capacity, and it benefits from proximity and shared borders with the U.S. But when I was growing up in Windsor, Ontario, in the 1990s, it was not a province without some significant challenges. The country was in the midst of a major recession, and Ontario was particularity hard hit. At the same time, environmental concerns like acid rain and smog days were becoming increasingly dangerous. I lived in a busy, factory town where everyone drove everywhere. By the time I graduated grade school, I knew about depleting ozone levels, and by high school, everyone was talking about the “new” phenomenon of climate change. In 2005, there were 53 days of smog advisories in Ontario issued by the Ministry of Environment, spurring calls for action. Then, less than a decade later in 2014, that number went down to zero. So, what changed? The short answer is government policy. Ontario’s government made two pivotal policy choices: the elimination of coal power plants and the commitment to reduce heavy-emitting fossil fuel by mandating the blending of 5 percent ethanol in gasoline. Ontario’s ethanol mandate evolved into policies adopted at the federal level as all three major parties supported and passed additional legislation to mandate and expand the ethanol industry. Ontario’s ethanol industry generated CA $1.5 billion in economic activity in 2016. Today, it accounts for CA $1.75 billion and, when the province moves to 10 percent ethanol blending (approved in 2018), this will increase to CA $2.5 billion. It’s an impressive industry trajectory that’s led to lower prices at the pump, a reduction in toxic tailpipe emissions, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and high-paying jobs in rural

communities. And at a time when political leaders are again facing economic realities and environmental needs, Ontario is again looking to ethanol. Last November, the newly elected Ontario government released its environment plan, which included a commitment to move to a 15 percent ethanol blend in gasoline. While still under consultation, the E15 mandate would cement Ontario’s position as a leader in ethanol use and production and make its gasoline among the cleanest in Canada. As with biofuel mandates anywhere in the world, success will be determined by the quality of the policy’s design and depth of commitment. To reach the full economic value and environmental benefit of E15 blending in Ontario, it’s crucial to recognize innovation and the potential of farmers, producers and fuel retailers, today and into the future. This means an implementation schedule and a carbon intensity (CI) reduction component that builds on the province’s E10 regulation and continues to drive ethanol demand. Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) represents the majority of Ontario’s ethanol producers and has done modeling that supports reaching E15 by 2027 and phased-in CI criteria through to 2030. The RICanada proposal also avoids drops in ethanol demand and instead provides a gradual, sustained increase in ethanol demand over time. If implemented, it would provide Ontario an economic impact of CA $3.7 billion per year and over 1,000 new total jobs once fully implemented. Of course, the policy is half of the equation, and public education is the other. Most Ontario drivers already have ethanol blended into their gasoline. Many don’t think about how ethanol helps the environment and supports farmers with every fill-up. RICanada’s new Ontario-wide radio ad campaign talks directly to drivers. The campaign tagline, “Driving doesn’t have to be dirty” spotlights ethanol as a clean and renewable fuel. From its first ethanol mandate to this latest proposal, Ontario has become Canada’s ethanol powerhouse. Looking forward, there is reason for excitement. Properly implemented, Ontario’s move to E15 holds real potential of expanding markets, boosting rural economies, and fighting climate change. Looking back, it’s a reminder that solutions to the biggest, most complex problems can start close to home and get better with time. Author: Andrea Kent Vice President of Government and Public Relations, Greenfield Global Board Member, Renewable Industries Canada 1.833.476.3835 andrea.kent@greenfield.com

12 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

EXPERTS DON’T SET THE BAR,

THEY RAISE IT F ER MFAC T S.COM

At Phibro, we believe in raising the bar on industry standards and empowering our customers with the information needed to maximize profitability. That’s why we’ve created the industry’s most comprehensive digital hub – FermFacts.com™. This new resource provides the expertise and solutions needed to optimize the fermentation process, create a more efficient plant and increase profitability. To learn more, visit FermFacts.com™.

GRASSROOTS VOICE

No Giant Package Necessary By Ron Lamberty

By the time you read this, we may finally have details of the “giant package” President Donald Trump promised to farmers and ethanol producers when he tweeted, “The Farmers are going to be so happy when they see what we are doing for ethanol, not even including the E-15, year around, which is already done. It will be a giant package, get ready! At the same time I was able to save the small refineries from certain closing. Great for all!” While it takes nearly every fiber of my being to resist the low-brow comedy opportunities embedded in that tweet, there is another comedy bit I’ve been thinking of as each version of the “giant package” is leaked by the White House to find out if it will appease “the farmers.” It’s part of Chris Rock’s “Bring the Pain” comedy special from the mid-’90s, which I will paraphrase—because the show had a well-deserved TVMA rating and I want this article to be printable. In the special, Rock talked about people wanting credit for doing things they’re supposed to do. He takes on men who defensively say, “I take care of my kids,” saying,“You’re supposed to,” and mocks the low expectations of guys who say, “I ain’t never been to jail!” asking, “What do you want, a cookie?!” So far, reported versions of the “giant package” haven’t even included “doing [stuff] you’re supposed to do.” Taking a bunch of stuff from someone and giving part of it back is a lousy gift—regardless of the package it comes in. Contrary to oil industry and media talking point headlines portraying Trump’s attempts to fix what his EPA’s policies have destroyed as a “payoff ” or “hush money,” farmers and the ethanol industry merely want the law to be enforced as written—and as practiced throughout the existence of the Renewable Fuel Standard.

14 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

The RFS says producers must make 15 billion gallons a year, and EPA is responsible for ensuring that amount of conventional biofuel is sold each year. Some of that annual renewable volume obligation (RVO) is met using credits from other forms of biofuel, or extra biofuel sold in previous years. There is no question EPA has the authority to grant small refinery exemptions (SREs)—although there is considerable debate over conditions that must be met to grant those exemptions. There is also no question the law requires the total number of gallons in the RVO be assigned to obligated parties. When the RFS was first put in place, all small refiners were exempt, and the annual RVO was divided among obligated parties who were not exempt. That’s what’s supposed to happen each year, so unless the exempted gallons are assigned or “reallocated” to someone in the “giant package,” EPA won’t even be “taking care of their kids.” Defenders of the Trump EPA dismantling of the RFS argue the agency is simply implementing “the system Congress designed.” Really? Congress designed a system with 36 billion gallons per year of renewables. They designed a system to force oil companies to increase their use of renewable fuel, not to use an amount they’re comfortable with. And more than anything else, Congress didn’t design the RFS as a brain teaser for weaselly oil company and EPA lawyers to get out of. It’s not a gift or payoff for the executive branch of the U.S. government—the branch responsible for enforcing the law—to enforce the law. We’re just asking them to do what they’re supposed to do. Author: Ron Lamberty Senior Vice President American Coalition for Ethanol 605.334.3381 rlamberty@ethanol.org

BUSINESS BRIEFS RFA welcomes Greenbrier The Greenbrier Cos. has joined the Renewable Fuels Association. Greenbrier, headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is an international supplier of equipment and services to the freight rail transportation market. Its business model in North America combines freight car manufacturing, wheel services, repair, refurbishment, retrofitting, component parts, and leasing and fleet management services. “We are very excited to be RFA’s newest associate member,” said Tom Jackson, Greenbrier’s vice president of marketing. “As a long-time sponsor of the National Ethanol Conference, we have seen first-hand the important role that RFA plays in the industry. We look forward to continuing this beneficial partnership and contributing to the ethanol industry at the national level as its leading supplier of transportation equipment and services.” “We’re always proud when companies like Greenbrier see the value of RFA membership and want to play an active role in the ethanol industry,” said RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Among our many objectives is leadership in logistics and working to improve transportation efficiency, and the rail industry and those who serve it are an important part of our work to ensure the safe transport of fuel ethanol. We’re looking forward to working with, and serving, Greenbrier’s team.”

16 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

People, Partnerships & Projects

Gov. Walz establishes biofuels council Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order in SepWalz tember establishing a Governor’s Council on Biofuels that will advise the governor and various state agencies on the role of biofuels in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and recommend policy and budget proposals to foster growth in the production and use of biofuels. “Farmers are the backbone of Minnesota’s economy,” Walz said in a series of tweets. “But recent action at the federal level has left many Minnesota farmers struggling to make ends meet. ...That’s why I launched the Governor’s Biofuels Council to support our farmers and renewable fuel producers. Amid uncertainty in Washington, it’s critical that we provide stability at home.”

BUSINESS BRIEFSÂŚ

Within the executive order, Walz noted that Minnesota was an early leader in promoting biofuels production and use. However, the state is not on track to meet its petroleum replacement goals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In recent years, a combination of low market prices and changes in federal policy has been a headwind to growth in biofuels, particularly in the commercialization of advanced biofuels,â&#x20AC;? he said in the executive order. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In order to make progress, we need ideas for policy and investment in biofuels development and utilization that are bold, practical and broadly supported by a range of interests.â&#x20AC;? Under the executive order, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will convene the council and provide staffing and administrative support. The MDA is directed to submit a record to the governor based on the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendations by Nov. 1, 2020. The council is to consist of 15 members appointed by the governor representing agriculture, the biofuels industry, transportation, environmental and conservation interests, and other relevant stakeholders.

Whitefox Technologies Ltd. joins Minnesota Bio-Fuels Membrane technology provider Whitefox Technologies Ltd. has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association as a vendor member. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are pleased to welcome Whitefox as our newest member. Whitefoxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membrane solutions are designed to provide ethanol plants with flexibility in operations and improved efficiency and profitability,â&#x20AC;? said Tim Rudnicki, Minnesota Bio-Fuelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; executive director. Based in the United Kingdom with operations in the U.S., Europe and Canada, Whitefoxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membrane-based dehydration technologyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Whitefox Integrated Cartridge Efficiencyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is currently installed in six plants in the U.S. Paul Kamp, Whitefox vice president of business development North America, said the company helps identify bottlenecks at ethanol plants and simulates the impact of using its membrane solutions to yield higher production rates, improve plant heat integration and reduce operations and maintenance costs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Whitefox system improves a plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carbon intensity scores by reducing energy use and makes the plant easier to run by eliminating recycled load and fluctuations in distillation,â&#x20AC;? he said. Kamp added that ICE can be integrated into existing ethanol plants with minimal disruption, while its membrane technology can also be utilized as an upgrade in greenfield plants. Whitefox will be starting up its first installation in Minnesota at Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co. in Benson this fall.

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LAB DATA

INFORMED

DECISIONS A practical guide for plant managers on recognizing strong lab data, and what to do when the results are unexpected. By Matt Thompson

TaNeal Boer, technical science director at Bion Cos., describes an ethanol plant’s lab as “the nuts and bolts of the plant.” And because of the critical role the lab plays, Boer says it’s important for plant managers to understand and recognize the strong data it produces. “You can generate tons and tons of data, but if it doesn’t fit some of the requirements to make sure that the data’s strong and accurate, you could be making decisions on bad data, even though it looks good.” The key to strong lab data is consistency, she says. Testing samples as quickly after collection as possible, having procedures in place to make sure samples are collected consistently, and cleaning sample bottles and equipment can all help contribute to strong data, she says. Those types of procedures should be clearly documented. “Facilities will have to have procedures in place so that they make sure their teams are sampling consistently at all times, which will result in a good quality sample,” Boer says. “Purging the sample port, making sure that sample bottles are clean, that there’s no water

in them, those kinds of things. Things that are small, but they can possibly contribute to error. And if you are making a decision on a bad sample, you could be costing that production facility hundreds, if not thousands of dollars every day.” Andrew Hawkins, director of laboratory services at Phibro Animal Health Corp., agrees. “We have SOPs [standard operating procedures] here for the lab, and the best ones are those that have been through three or four revisions where somebody actually prints it out, takes it with them, and jots down some handwritten notes while they’re doing it, saying, ‘Hey, I don’t understand this stuff,’ or, ‘This step is confusing,’ or, ‘This actually is like four steps in one. Why is it all in one?’ Those types of feedback are the only way we can make our protocols better,” Hawkins says.

Communication, Questions, Quality

If data is inconsistent, or includes an error, the next step is to determine why. This is where communication between the lab and the operations side of the plant is important. “It’s just keeping that communication open and asking a lot of questions,” Boer says.

20 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

AHEAD OF THE GAME: Equipment like these computercontrolled bioreactors are important to the lab and plant, so regular maintenance is crucial. TaNeal Boer, technical science director at Bion Cos., recommends a preventative maintenance program for lab equipment. PHOTO: PHIBRO ETHANOL PERFORMANCE GROUP

ETHANOLPRODUCER.COM | 21

LAB DATA

CONSISTENCY COUNTS: Small measures, such as ensuring employees know how to use micropipettes, can have an impact on consistency in lab data.

DATA'S DETAILS: Using only clean sample bottles can help avoid errors in data. PHOTO: PHIBRO ETHANOL PERFORMANCE GROUP

PHOTO: PHIBRO ETHANOL PERFORMANCE GROUP

Those questions, she says, should focus on determining what factors might have led to the unexpected results. Asking the lab about instrument calibration, if the sample collected was a good one, and whether SOPs were followed are good starting points, she says. Yan Zhang, director of research at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) agrees. She says the first step in analyzing unexpected data is verifying its quality. “Check the data quality first before jumping to making any conclusions,” she says. “So that’s the first step. You need to make sure there’s no foul play in the lab side.” It’s also important for a plant manager to know and understand the plant’s idiosyncrasies. Plants that slow production will see changes in their lab data, Boer says. “Understanding how the plant data changes at the reduced rate or the slower rate becomes more critical so that you have trust in that data, because some things might look very strange since you’re operating differently.” That can be accomplished by spending time with data, a strategy Hawkins recommends. “I think looking at data regularly, even if there’s not an emergency, is probably one of the best tips I could provide,” he says. “As a scientist, I’ve done that a lot and that really gives you a good foundation to know when things are off, and usually that’s critical.”

Zhang agrees. “For the plant manager, the combination of staying very connected with the lab data and also, if it’s possible, building certain scientific background to understand the process and the biochemical processing of corn to ethanol will definitely help you.”

Room for Improvement

Hawkins says monitoring data, even when there isn’t an emergency, can be helpful to spot opportunities for efficiency improvements. “I think a great place to look at to improve efficiencies is really to monitor the liquefaction system for fusels and ethanol,” Hawkins says. “Because these plants are so integrated—and there are quite a few plants that are moving to zero-discharge—a lot of what comes back around from the back end of your plant can actually inform you about what’s happening in general.” Hawkins says regularly reviewing data gives plant managers an opportunity to recognize trends. “Really investigate those trends because those trends can be indicators of other things that are going on in your plant,” he says. “Maybe a piece of equipment is going to fail or maybe there’s a pump that’s not delivering what you think it’s delivering at the right time. Those trends, especially if they’re repetitive, can usually give you clues.”

22 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

Boer says another opportunity plants have when data indicates everything is operating normally is a lab proficiency program. She says plants that work closely together or are sister plants can send samples to each other, to compare calculations for acidity or moisture. “There are also proficiency programs out there where it’s a known lab sample and then a laboratory would then run a solids, an HPLC, maybe a moisture or acidity, depending on what that sample is, and it compares them to a known, and it tells their percent recovery,” she says. “It’s just a really nice check to see how a lab is doing independent of their normal dayto-day operations.” Boer also cautions not to take lab equipment for granted. Lab equipment should undergo preventative maintenance programs (PMs), just like any other plant equipment, she says. “Whatever PMs go on in a facility, you want to do the same thing for your lab, because that lab equipment never shuts off; it’s running all the time,” Boer says. “If you have that PM program, which is through the vendor of that instrument, and you have equipment go down, you get moved up on the repair list.” And Zhang says the importance of accurate, strong lab data is a key for running a successful plant. “There’s no other way for you to know whether you lost a lot of money or actually are in good shape,” she says.

LAB DATA Tips for ensuring strong lab data “Making sure that the data is completely trustworthy is always very important so you make the right decision and move in the right direction, as opposed to having some bad data that sends you off on the wrong path.” - Andrew Hawkins, Phibro • Develop strong SOPs. Solicit feedback and ask how SOPs are working. “The best ones are the ones that have been through three or four revisions where somebody actually prints it out, takes it with them, and jots down some handwritten notes while they’re doing it.” - Andrew Hawkins, Phibro • Ensure employees are trained in proper lab techniques. “Train everyone that does the work. That could be an operator on the evenings or weekends when the lab staff may not normally be there. Have everyone trained and validate the individual that’s doing it.” - Andrew Hawkins, Phibro

• Ensure instruments are cleaned, calibrated and verified. “Make sure that all the equipment has been validated and calibrated so the data is accurate.” - Andrew Hawkins, Phibro • Put a preventative maintenance program for lab equipment in place. “If you have that PM program, which is through the vendor of that instrument, you get moved up on the repair list.” - TaNeal Boer, Bion • Take part in a lab proficiency program to double-check data. “It’s just a really nice check to see how a lab is doing independent of their normal day-to-day operations.” - TaNeal Boer, Bion

• Establish check standards. “Analytical method needs to be validated and, for daily operations generating the data, you need an independent check standard to verify the whole batch was good enough.” - Yan Zhang, NCERC

Tips for unexpected data “Troubleshooting always takes a whole team.” - Yan Zhang, NCERC • Verify SOPs were followed. “Check the data quality first before jumping to making any conclusions.” - Yan Zhang, NCERC • Verify the check standard was acceptable. “For daily operations generating the data, you need an independent check standard to verify the whole batch was good enough.” - Yan Zhang, NCERC • Determine if there were changes in the plant that could affect the data. “Understanding how the plant changes at the reduced rate or the lower rate becomes more critical so that you have trust in that data, because some things might look very strange since you’re operating differently.” TaNeal Boer, Bion.

• Verify instruments are calibrated and validated. “When you’re validating, you want to make sure that that validation check is part of your standard operating procedure. You want something independent so that it’s just not reinjecting the same sample that may be contributing to the calibration issue.” - TaNeal Boer, Bion • Engage the whole team to determine why a sample may be off. “A lot of times, when things are not going right, there is more than one line of evidence.” - Yan Zhang, NCERC

Tips for data within norms “I think the best and most positive thing a plant manager can do to help encourage good data, and to feel confident in the data that the lab is generating and reporting out back to operations, is to occasionally ask to take a look at … the logbooks to show that that equipment is working correctly.” - Andrew Hawkins, Phibro

• Regularly review the data. “I think looking at data regularly, even if there’s not an emergency, is probably one of the best tips I could provide.” - Andrew Hawkins, Phibro

• Don’t change. Keep doing what works. “From a practical point of view, if things work, don’t change it. Especially for experienced people.” - Yan Zhang, NCERC

• Look for trends in the data. “Really investigate those trends because those trends can be indicators of other things that are going on in your plant. Maybe a piece of equipment is going to fail or maybe there’s a pump that’s not delivering what you think it’s delivering at the right time.” - Andrew Hawkins, Phibro

• Look for opportunities to improve, particularly in data from the liquefaction system. “Because these plants are so integrated—and there are quite a few plants that are moving to zero-discharge—a lot of what comes back around from the back end of your plant can actually inform you about what’s happening in general.”- Andrew Hawkins, Phibro

• Understand the technical, scientific side of data and ethanol processing. “For the plant manager, the combination of staying very connected with the lab data and also, if it’s possible, building certain scientific background to understand the process and the biochemical processing of corn to ethanol will definitely help you.” - Yan Zhang, NCERC Author: Matt Thompson Associate Editor, Ethanol Producer Magazine 701.738.4922 mthompson@bbiinternational.com ETHANOLPRODUCER.COM | 23

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EVENT

INTERACTION

ENCOURAGED The Alcohol School brings fuel and beverage producers together to learn and share solutions. By Lisa Gibson

“The success of the school continues to Jaime Finguerut, director of be based on the caliber of the presenters asthe Sugarcane Technology In- sembled,” he said. “They don’t come because stitute in Brazil, showed a pre- we pay them money. They come because of desire to share their expertise.” sentation slide titled, “EMER- their Students came from all over the world to GENCY!” as he explained to his understand and polish their alcohol processes. audience at The Alcohol School “The problems are similar,” Ballard said of fuel and alcohol processes around the world. Sept. 10 that the climate crisis is “So it’s global, not geographical.” the largest global demand driver Focus on Feedstock for ethanol. In Brazil, the world’s second-largest proFinguerut presented at Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits’ Alcohol School, Sept. 9-13 in Montreal, Quebec. Hosted by LBDS’ Ethanol Technology Institute, the bulk of the event was held at InterContinental Montreal but featured nearby lab and production facility tours, including GreenField Ethanol-Varennes. This year marked the 39th year of the event, geared toward sharing lessons learned and educating both beverage and fuel alcohol industries, said Angus Ballard, president of LBDS. “We’re proud of the tradition, but really, it’s about information. “The exchange of good ideas is a good thing in our industry. Interaction is encouraged.” Presentations targeted almost all stages in the process, with a goal of helping attendees understand it from beginning to end, Ballard said.

ducer of ethanol, 43 percent of gasoline is replaced with ethanol, compared to the United States’ standard 10 percent, Finguerut said. He told his audience that 80 percent of Brazil’s vehicle fleet is flex fuel, even the imports. “It’s a very cheap conversion to make a car flexible.” The cost includes about $200 in electronics and replacement of most of the plastics. The sugarcane ethanol production process is refined and incredibly efficient, Finguerut said. Carbon dioxide from Brazil’s process is put back into the soil, and the leaves are no longer burned, but are recycled back into production. The feedstock procurement phase is quick and complex, Finguerut said, as sugarcane begins to deteriorate in a couple of hours, causing bacterial infection. During the process,

26 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

most of the water comes from the evaporation phase, and fermentation is just eight hours. That results in low productivity because yeast has to be alive in order to recycle it, he said. John Duff, of National Sorghum Producers, followed Finguerut and talked about sorghum as a feedstock. “We’re a very small industry,” Duff said of sorghum ethanol. He said 2 percent of ethanol in the U.S. is sorghum. “It’s tiny, but it’s exceedingly important in some areas.” Those sorghum ethanol plants are in Texas and Kansas, because of sorghum’s water, drought and heat tolerance. Duff discussed carbon intensity, which comes mainly from farming activities and nitrogen fertilizer applications. Reducing those emissions won’t be easy, but carbon sequestration is a large opportunity. “We sequester more carbon than people realize in agriculture,” he said. Corn ethanol has a carbon intensity of about 60 to 75 percent. But accountability of sequestration would result in 19 grams for corn ethanol, and sugarcane could have a negative carbon score, he said. “There is a lot of gain to be made with demonstrating that.”

To the Lab

Day three of The Alcohol School moved from InterContinental Montreal to National Research Council Canada, where LBDS’ re-

HARD AT WORK: Vincent Domingue Gauthier, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits research assistant, works with samples in one of LBDSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; labs inside National Research Council Canada facilities in Montreal, Quebec. Tours of LBDS lab space at NRC Canada were included in The Alcohol School, held Sept. 9-13 in Montreal. PHOTO: LALLEMAND BIOFUELS & DISTILLED SPIRITS

ETHANOLPRODUCER.COM | 27

IN THE CROWD: About 100 students gathered in Montreal, Quebec, Sept. 9-13 for Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits’ Alcohol School. The course combines beverage and fuel alcohol education, and attendees receive a certificate at the end of the five-day event.

JUST A TASTE: The Alcohol School attendees flock around tasting tables at the event’s well-known Wine, Beer and Spirits Tasting. The tasting was held in The Caves, a former armory that is now part of InterContinental Montreal.

PHOTO: LALLEMAND BIOFUELS & DISTILLED SPIRITS

search arm, Mascoma LLC, occupies several laboratories. Attendees toured eight of LBDS’ labs and learned more about what should be taking place in their own. Emily Stonehouse, research and development manager for Mascoma, told her audience that she considers herself a “yeast mechanic.” Yeast is an important substance, she said, used to produce more than 80 percent of renewable fuels globally, as well as vaccines, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, proteins and more. Stonehouse explained that the “holy grail” of yeast is to find a naturally occurring strain that possesses the desired traits. “But it’s a lot of work,” she said. So, Stonehouse discussed two methods to craft yeast with desired traits: classical genetics and genetic engineering. Through classical genetics, no DNA is added from outside the cell. Instead, it uses other tactics such as mating, hybridization, protoplast fusion and mutagenesis. While it’s not considered genetic engineering, classical genetics is time-intensive, imprecise and can result in unintended mutations. With genetic engineering, DNA is added, Stonehouse explained. First, a trait is identified, and the gene sequencing is obtained. The genes are then synthesized, the yeast is designed and built, the DNA is transformed into yeast, and it’s integrated onto yeast chromo-

somes. “The benefit of genetic engineering is it’s really precise,” Stonehouse said. “You built what you wanted to build.” Genetic engineering is also extremely fast, but it’s regulated and carries a negative consumer perception, she added. Still, genetically engineered yeast has been used for years in many applications, and about 70 percent of U.S. and Canadian ethanol plants use it to improve tolerance to inhibitors, reduce fermentation byproducts and prompt the yeast to excrete enzymes like glucoamylase, Stonehouse said. In 2012, Lallemand introduced the first commercially available glucoamylase-expressing yeast, TransFerm, which has continually been innovated, Stonehouse told her audience. Other yeast suppliers have developed glucoamylase-expressing strains, as well. Caleb Ogden, technical manager for LBDS, spoke later that afternoon about sampling, saying consistency is important in process monitoring. Communication between the sampler and analyzer is crucial, he said, as is processing that sample in a timely manner. Make sure the sample is a sufficient quantity and representative of the batch, too, he added. Ogden discussed monitoring of five areas of a plant: grain receiving, milling, cooking/ liquefaction, yeast and fermentation, and dis-

28 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

tillation/final product. In grain receiving, lowtech equipment options include grain sieves, and even visual indications. High-tech grain receiving equipment includes near infrared or moisture analysis, Ogden said. Don’t forget to clean bins, he told his audience. Milling quality checks should employ consistent use of a sieve shaker, he said. “There’s a lot to look at when it comes to the third section, liquefaction,” Ogden said. Plants will need to watch viscosity, density, pH, color, temperature, enzyme rates and odors. Density can be correlated to various percentages of solids measurements, he said. Viscosity can be visual, usually an indication of enzyme but also can indicate an improper grain-towater ratio. “Yeast cell counts and health are extremely important to monitor,” Ogden said. Monitoring of yeast and bacteria can be done efficiently with microscopy, he said. “You have real-time contamination tracking.” He also introduced other methods including dyes and bioluminescence. Francois van Zyl, director of technical services for LBDS, had said during his presentation earlier that identifying contamination in yeast can be as easy as using a fluorescent microscope. The annual cost related to contamination can exceed $5 million, he said. “How

EVENT many microscopes can you buy with $5 million?” It justifies basic monitoring, he said. Finally, in distillation, Ogden continued, density can be determined with a hydrometer. More high-tech options exist but are not approved yet for fuel alcohol. Ogden ended his presentation with a recommendation to calibrate regularly. Competent, passionate participants are needed in calibration, as well as adequate record keeping, he said. “Calibration is critical,” he concluded. “Without it, your data is useless.”

The Case for Fractionation

At the beginning of his presentation, Vijay Singh, professor in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said he was going to “make the case for fractionation.” The conventional corn-to-ethanol production process does not maximize coproduct opportunities, he said. Corn contains all kinds of unique proteins and fibers the ethanol industry is not currently separating out, Singh said. Removing these nonfermentables adds high-value coproducts, increases markets for distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and improves final ethanol concentration, he said. Lipids that are ideal proteins for human food and can reduce cholesterol, for instance, are present in significant quantities. “It’s a natural product that has pharmaceutical properties,” Singh said. He also named antioxidants that can be recovered such as tocols and carotenoids. Then, there’s fiber. “Right now, all this fiber that’s present in the corn kernel gets concentrated in DDGS. And DDGS, because of its high-fiber content, is only used in ruminant animal diets.” Only about 10 percent goes to poultry and swine because they can’t digest the fiber, he said. Taking that fiber out expands the market for the product. “That’s one reason we need to do fractionation.” For the front end, Singh detailed wet and dry fractionation. Wet fractionation, which consists of soaking corn in water and separating coproducts in an aqueous medium, uses wet grinding mills, hydrocyclones and screens for separation. Wet fractionation is very similar to the corn wet milling process, he said. From one bushel of corn, wet fractionation removes 3.3 pounds of germ, 4 pounds of pericarp fiber and 4 pounds of endosperm

fiber, Sing said. The result is higher protein in DDGS and higher final ethanol concentration. The same separation can be done with the dry fractionation process, borrowing the unit operations from the corn dry milling process, including degerminators, gravity tables and sifters. The process removes 4 pounds of germ and 4 pounds of pericarp fiber. Comparing wet and dry fractionation showed wet fractionation resulted in better quality germ and pericarp fiber, as well as better nutritional DDGS quality, Singh said. On the back end, DDGS fractionation utilizes the Elusieve Process to remove 4 pounds of pericarp fiber from a bushel of corn, resulting in 11 pounds of DDGS that are digestible by poultry and swine, Singh said. The DDGS undergoes a physical separation process, sieved into different categories based on size, using different thermal velocities to separate fiber and enhanced DDGS. The payback period of installing a system for DDGS fractionation is less than two years, Singh said, and the process has been commercialized in Hungary.

Thin stillage fractionation recovers crude oil through evaporation and centrifugation. The oil serves as an additional coproduct and reduces the oil content in DDGS, Singh said. Scott Kohl, chief technology officer for Franzenburg, discussed several innovations in ethanol production, but echoed Singh when he said current DDGS are not the best feed for most animals. Protein is too high for beef cattle, fat content is too high for dairy cattle, fiber content is too high for poultry, and oil content in hog diets produces softer bacon fat. “The industry is showing that’s going to be the next big wave of process changes,” Kohl said. Author: Lisa Gibson Editor, Ethanol Producer Magazine 701.738.4920 lgibson@bbiinternational.com

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INNOVATION

BREEDING SUCCESS

A new breed of corn, produced with the ethanol industry in mind, promises more corn oil yield and higher-protein distillers grains. By Matt Thompson

Charlie Brown, CEO of Brownseed Genetics, says a lesson his dad taught him has been the guiding principle of his company.

“My dad in the ’70s told me, if we as farmers made 10 more cents per bushel instead of 10 more bushels per acre, we can double our profit,” Brown says. “And that always remained with me.” He adds that his goal is to increase the value of grain. And he hopes his company’s new corn hybrid, E+, will help increase the value of corn for growers and ethanol producers alike. In July, Brownseed announced a partnership with Benson Hill Biosystems, and the new corn hybrid. The new corn is designed to increase oil production—the breed yields about 9 percent corn oil—and protein for distillers grains. “This is a project that I’ve been working on for over 20 years,” Brown says. “We found a way for corn to express more oil and protein and simply by increasing the size of the embryo in the kernel.” Brown, who has been working with Kurt Dieker, director of technology for ICM, says that while yield is important for growers, “net profit per acre is what counts. That usually means exercising discipline in seed selection, input costs, marketing and crop quality. Brownseed focuses on the things we can control, and that’s seed cost and grain value. These variables will increase net profit per acre.” Dieker says the larger germ size in the E+ corn results in higher amino acids in distillers grains. “In this case, what we’ve seen is slightly higher glycine content and some of the other

essential amino acids that aren’t as prevalent in corn,” Dieker says. “When you make a larger germ, that germ also happens to have most of the better proteins in it. And when I say better, I mean bio-available.” The corn also has a higher protein content, which is concentrated into distillers grains. “Basically, whatever your incoming corn composition is, the nonstarch components, you’re going to concentrate it approximately three times,” Dieker says. “So, incoming corn, if it is 2 percent higher in protein, then outgoing distillers grains would actually be 6 percent higher in final feed value.” Dieker also says the new breed allows producers to make more money per bushel, through increased oil and protein production, without having to produce more ethanol.

Tried and True

In pilot testing, Dieker says distillers grains from the hybrid were higher in amino acid, and oil was still recovered at the 6 percent retainer. “So you can monetize the additional oil by getting a better price for it than distillers grains, which is why everybody separates oil today.” Leftover protein can be concentrated into traditional distillers grains at 30 percent protein, or a higher-protein product at 50 percent or higher, Dieker says. Brown says that although the E+ hybrid contains more protein and less starch, the starch alleles are more fermentable, meaning there isn’t a reduction in ethanol yield. “The kinetics are really good in this corn,” he says. Dieker agrees, saying the lab trials bore this out. “In other words, the starch was more ac-

30 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

cessible, faster,” he says. “But you still have less starch. So starch convertibility is the same or slightly better, but total starch content is less, but you are switching out for protein and oil.” The same results were achieved in pilot-scale trials, Dieker says. In addition to lab and pilot-scale trials, Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy in Council Bluffs, Iowa, did a multiple-day run with E+. Dieker says while not statistically relevant, SIRE saw the same results as the lab and pilot trials. “They saw fermentation kinetics really didn’t change all that much. They basically ran normal alpha amylase doses and they saw increased oil recovery rates. The feel-good test would say that yeah, with commercial scale fer-

ALL EARS: Brownseed Genetics is bringing its E+ corn hybrid to the ethanol industry. Its larger embryo size increases oil and protein content over that of traditional yellow dent corn, pictured here. PHOTO: ISTOCK

menters we saw the same thing we saw with the pilot plant, and we saw the same thing we saw in the lab that we’ve replicated multiple times.” Dieker says most ethanol plants should be able to handle the new hybrid without major modifications to their equipment. “Up until 25, 35 percent inclusion rate of a Brownseed, you probably won’t have any modifications,” beyond adjusting the oil separation centrifuge. “They’re really just cutting that stream differently because it has more oil in it,” he says. For higher inclusion rates, plants may need further modifications to handle the increase in oil production. “[They] may actually need to add an oil centrifuge, expand oil separation capacity, or you may need an advanced technol-

ogy like ICM has to be able to make sure that that oil goes the right way to be able to separate it,” Dieker says.

Strength Through Partnership

Brown says he’s excited about his company’s partnership with Benson Hill Biosystems. He says that, to this point, Brownseed has been using classical breeding techniques to produce E+, taking five to seven generations to make a breed of corn. The partnership with Benson Hill, however, will allow the company to produce new varieties in three generations. He adds that gene mapping and use of Benson

Hill’s prescreening software will be a benefit for Brownseed. “They’re basically bringing the tools of a large breeding program to a smaller independent such as ourselves,” Brown says. In a release announcing the partnership, Benson Hill CEO Matt Crisp echoed Brown’s goal of bringing value to growers and ethanol producers. “Brownseed’s focus on varieties with both quality and productivity benefits can generate greater profitability for growers, livestock producers, and the ethanol industry,” Crisp said. “Together, through this partnership, we will broaden the Brownseed portfolio so these hybrids can be grown across the Corn Belt.”

ETHANOLPRODUCER.COM | 31

INNOVATION Benefits in the Field

ON DISPLAY: Brownseed Genetics’ new corn hybrid, E+ (right), is capable of producing more corn oil, and distillers grains with more amino acids, thanks to its larger embryo. PHOTO: BROWNSEED GENETICS

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32 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019

In addition to more corn oil and protein, the benefits for ethanol producers include sourcing more local corn, Dieker says. “The more they understand about what’s going to go into the ground and what its benefits are, I think the more they can help originate more and more of their own corn, which has a financial benefit as well,” Dieker says. There are also benefits for corn growers. “We’ve put together a production method we call Sidekick, where a grower will blend 25 percent of our E+ with 75 percent of their favorite commercial variety,” Brown says. The strategy raises the oil level of the grain harvested. Figures from 2018 in southwest Iowa and northeast Nebraska showed average jumps from about 3.5 up to 6.68 percent oil on a dry basis, Brown says. “So the Sidekick program has a lot of benefits to it, as far as lowering the bar of entry to a grower. We’re only asking them to change 25 percent of something they’re already very comfortable with, so we’re finding that growers are accepting the product really well because of that.” Brown says E+ is distributed through licenses to seed companies. Ethanol plants have leveraged relationships with growers to gain access to the new seed. “Whatever type of contract they need logistically to handle, that’s set up by the ethanol plant, and what we provide is the agronomy and technical support in the field,” Brown says. “We’re, so to speak, the boots on the ground to help the grower produce the crop and we hand it off to the ethanol plant and, downstream, they take care of the processing.” Dieker says the company is looking for more plants to assist with trials. “We are going to pick those advantageously, because Brownseed, being a smaller company, we can’t go and do 40 trials,” he says. And for Brown, it comes down to what his dad taught him about helping farmers make more per bushel. “We feel this could be a very important product for the rural ag economy in the U.S. Every dollar goes around a town seven times and the amount of value we can bring to an ethanol plant and local growers and their local towns, we’re very encouraged by the potential of it,” he says. Author: Matt Thompson Associate Editor, Ethanol Producer Magazine 701.738.4922 mthompson@bbiinternational.com

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