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Upcoming Events
2025 International Biomass Conference & Expo MARCH 18-20, 2025
Atlanta, GA (866) 746-8385 | www.biomassconference.com
Now in its 18th year, the International Biomass Conference & Expo is expected to bring together more than 900 attendees, 160 exhibitors and 65 speakers from more than 25 countries. It is the largest gathering of biomass professionals and academics in the world. Powered by Biomass Magazine, the conference provides relevant content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. In addition to abundant networking opportunities, the largest biomass conference in the world is renowned for its outstanding programming, maintaining a strong focus on commercial-scale biomass production, new technology, and near-term research and development. Join us at the International Biomass Conference & Expo as we enter this new and exciting era in biomass energy.
2025 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
June 9-11, 2025
Omaha, NE (866) 746-8385 | www.fuelethanolworkshop.com
Now in its 41st year, the FEW provides the ethanol industry with cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. As the largest, longest running ethanol conference in the world, the FEW is renowned for its superb programming—powered by Ethanol Producer Magazine —that maintains a strong focus on commercialscale ethanol production, new technology, and near-term research and development. The event draws more than 2,300 people from over 31 countries and from nearly every ethanol plant in the United States and Canada.
2025 Sustainable Fuels Summit June 9 - June 11, 2025
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Customer Service Please call 1-866-746-8385 or email us at service@bbiinternational.com. Subscriptions 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. 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 866-7468385 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 high-quality 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 editor@bbiinternational.com. Please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space. TM
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The Sustainable Fuels Summit: SAF, Renewable Diesel, and Biodiesel is a premier forum designed for producers of biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to learn about cutting-edge process technologies, innovative techniques, and equipment to optimize existing production. Attendees will discover efficiencies that save money while increasing throughput and fuel quality. Produced by Biodiesel Magazine and SAF Magazine, this world-class event features premium content from technology providers, equipment vendors, consultants, engineers, and producers to advance discussions and foster an environment of collaboration and networking. Through engaging presentations, fruitful discussions, and compelling exhibitions, the summit aims to push the biomass-based diesel sector beyond its current limitations. Co-located with the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, the Sustainable Fuels Summit conveniently harnesses the full potential of the integrated biofuels industries while providing a laser-like focus on processing methods that deliver tangible advantages to producers. Registration is free of charge for all employees of current biodiesel, renewable diesel, and SAF production facilities, from operators and maintenance personnel to board members and executives.
New Markets, Greener Inputs, Dashboards and More
This issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine delivers an eclectic mix of content with features on new markets and lower-CI farming bookended by articles about plant data—and, for good measure, a piece on measuring in-situ corn fiber ethanol.
We start with “Pushing Data Boundaries,” on page 14, going inside the robust capabilities and relationship-driven culture of CTE Global, a top fermentation solutions provider. The story is as much about the company’s emphatic commitment to cultivating producer discourse as CTE’s drive to help its clients leverage process data. We take a deep dive into the company’s three branches of support—Technical Services, Operations Services and its Technology Center—each rooted in the power of collaboration and capturing enhanced plant intel.
Next, on page 20, we revisit the nascent market for ethanol in diesel engine applications. We’ve covered ClearFlame Engine Technologies before—and the company makes another cameo here—but this story’s main focus is not semis, but the massive trucks used for mining. “On the Bigger Side,” on page 20, looks at the yet-to-unfold collaboration between Vale, a Brazilian iron ore mining company, and Cummins and Komatsu, the former OEM being a diesel engine manufacturer and the latter being a maker of trucks and heavy equipment. The idea is that by using 70% ethanol blends in its fleet of mining trucks, Vale will be able to cut its onsite mining emissions considerably. Using ethanol—along with the renewable power and electrification initiative that Vale has already rolled out—will be a huge step toward meeting the company’s long-term decarbonization objectives.
Then, we leap to the opposite end of the field-to-fuel spectrum, looking at the fertilizers used to grow corn. It’s no secret that synthetic (i.e., conventional) fertilizers make up a significant share of the carbon intensity of corn farming and, hence, ethanol production. For this and other reasons, lowering the CI of fertilizers—making them from microbial nitrogen, for example—has become a top priority for both the agricultural and biofuel industries. In “More Green Downstream,” on page 28, we look at how technology development, government investment and new partnerships are coalescing to reduce on-farm emissions via low-CI fertilizers—which are considered critical to ethanol’s entrance into sustainable aviation fuel.
We return to process information management in “Intelligent Data Distillation, on page 34, a look at how Black & Veatch is harnessing the power of AI to help ethanol producers filter through vast amounts of information and process scenarios—with some clients leveraging AI-driven dashboards—to detect, diagnose and resolve issues faster than ever before.
Finally, be sure to read “Unlocking D3 RINs with In-Situ Ethanol Analysis,” our closing story on page 40, which looks at a new, ASTM-approved, EPA-qualifying standard for accurately measuring the cellulosic ethanol volume from in-situ corn fiber ethanol production. Ultimately, nailing the long-grappled-over insitu equation is vital to our industry as it represents 170 million gallons per year of D3 ethanol production generating nearly half a billion dollars of new revenue annually.
• Delivers up to 15% increased corn oil recovery
• Enables pathway to produce low-CI cellulosic gallons
• Dewaters corn kernel fiber for reduced natural gas consumption
• Maximizes plant operability
To learn more, contact your account manager.
Making Corn Ethanol the Undisputed Gold-Standard Clean Fuel
Elected officials are adopting decarbonization policies. To future-proof our industry, steps must be taken to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
That’s what ethanol producers have been doing—innovating and becoming more efficient. During this time, ACE has tackled the other half of the carbon intensity equation—how ethanol companies can further reduce GHGs based on farming practices.
Our goal—to make corn ethanol the gold-standard clean fuel.
Agriculture is part of ACE’s DNA, which is why the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has entrusted us to lead an effort designed to help ethanol producers and farmers unlock new opportunities through climate-smart agriculture (CSA).
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack discussed our partnership during his keynote at our conference in August. It started in 2021, when USDA awarded funding for ACE to lead a climate-smart ag project through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in South Dakota. Based on the progress we have made since that time, earlier this year, USDA invested additional funding for ACE to lead a larger project expanding our activity to a 10-state region. These initiatives involve many moving pieces, but it boils down to three primary steps.
• We are partnering with ethanol companies to incentivize farmer adoption of conservation tillage, nutrient management and cover crops.
• Soil scientists and the Department of Energy will measure how the practices adopted by farmers reduce GHG emissions from corn production.
• The data we collect will empower ethanol producers and farmers to gain access to new markets and capitalize on federal tax incentives, such as the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit.
In South Dakota, we have incentivized farmers to adopt conservation practices on 18,000 acres. For the 10-state initiative, we will be able to fund 100,000 additional acres. Once farmers have adopted the practices, soil samples and other data will be shared with DOE to pressure test the global, gold-standard tool for assessing GHG emissions—the GREET model. The purpose of running our data through GREET is to address the “information gaps” that currently prevent farmers and ethanol producers from monetizing conservation practices in regulated fuel markets.
What are these information gaps?
Earlier this year, Treasury released guidance for the 40B Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Tax Credit. While there were positives, including the first explicit recognition by a government body that farming practices have GHG benefits for biofuels, the requirement to bundle three practices (no-till, 4R nitrogen management and cover crops) and the artificial 10-point limit on the credit value of those bundled practices, was completely unworkable.
Why did Treasury take such a conservative approach to climate-smart agriculture for SAF? Because of the perceived information gaps about the true GHG benefits of no-till, 4R nutrient management and cover crops in different soil types and climates. The work ACE is doing through our RCPP projects will generate the data needed to eliminate information gaps. We will produce the data to show the carbon benefits of these practices in every region of the Corn Belt.
How can that information be of value? With respect to 45Z, our work with USDA will justify more flexibility for farmers, such as credits for stand-alone conservation practices, or stacking of practices, without the bundling requirement. Our work will also justify removing artificial limits on the carbon value of ag practices, so farmers and ethanol companies can maximize opportunities.
Brian Jennings Americal Coalition for Ethanol, CEO
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Europe Needs a Hybrid Approach to Defossilizing Road Transport
Will the European Union continue to bet on only one method of reducing emissions from road transport, or will it adopt a more common-sense, hybrid approach?
That’s the question many will be asking as the EU enters its next political cycle with a new European Parliament already in session and a new European Commission soon to take office with the latest statistics from the car industry showing motorists are still wary of battery-electric vehicles.
Under its recently adopted legislation, which mandates that new cars sold from 2035 have zero emissions, the EU is essentially requiring automobile companies to shift all production to electric vehicles. While there could be room for carbon-neutral fuels to play a role, the European Commission has yet to define what will qualify under the definition of carbon-neutral.
This is an important question, especially because the recent surge in sales of hybrid cars which run on a combination of battery-electric power and liquid fuel clearly confirms the need for flexibility. As these cars will be on Europe’s roads until well beyond 2035, it’s more important than ever that renewable ethanol which reduces GHG emissions from gasoline and hybrid cars by more than 79%, on average, compared to fossil fuels play a role in EU transport decarbonization.
The most recent statistics in Europe show that sales of hybrid cars surged by 26.4% in June, according to ACEA, the European car industry association, while sales of battery-electric vehicles declined by 1%. Sales of gasoline cars remained stable in June, ACEA said.
Altogether, sales of gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars which all run on liquid fuel accounted for 70% of new car sales in June. More than ever, this underlines the importance of renewable ethanol for displacing fossil fuel in these vehicles.
Opening up to the contribution of renewable fuels as early as possible will not only help broaden the range of solutions and preserve affordable mobility for all EU citizens, but also lead to faster emissions reduction instead of waiting for sales of battery electric vehicles to grow and the infrastructure they require to develop.
In the coming months, as the EU moves to clarify its definition of CO2-neutral fuels, it should take this reality into consideration. It should also consider the major innovations in production that are already increasing the GHG-savings score of renewable ethanol, in some cases to more than 90% compared to fossil fuel. All renewable ethanol that is compliant with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) should be included in the definition of CO2-neutral fuels.
Europe can’t afford to bet on electrification as the only solution for reducing emissions from cars. That’s not just common sense, it’s also the finding by the European Court of Auditors that in a 2023 report, warned against the current EU strategy of focusing only on electric vehicles, which will lead to overreliance on scarce resources needed for batteries.
A more pragmatic approach would make the best use of existing technologies that reduce emissions now, work in existing infrastructure, and preserve citizens’ purchasing power and freedom of mobility. When it comes to choosing between battery-electric and hybrid cars, it’s not an either-or situation: we need both.
David Carpintero Director General of ePure, the European renewable ethanol association
BUSINESS BRIEFS
PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS & PROJECTS
Verbio launches ethanol production in Nevada, Iowa
Verbio has commenced the commercial production of corn-based ethanol at its biorefinery in Nevada, Iowa. The plant, a subsidiary of European biofuels and bioenergy producer Verbio SE, underwent a thorough commissioning process over the past six months resulting in the successful start of bioethanol production.
The completion of this second phase of the Nevada plant’s strategy in the U.S. market is the next milestone for the company. Operating as a full biorefinery, Verbio has installed a total capacity to produce 60 million gallons of corn-based ethanol per year and 2.3 million MMbtu of renewable natural gas (RNG).
Fluid Quip Technologies announces commissioning of world’s largest MSC protein system
In July, Fluid Quip Technologies announced the successful completion and commissioning of the world’s largest MSC System to date at Tharaldson Ethanol’s 175 million-gallon biorefinery in Casselton, North Dakota. This marks the twelfth FQT MSC system installed world-wide. It also significantly expands the production of corn fermented protein, a high-quality in-
gredient in animal feed that provides superior nutrition solutions for pet, aquaculture and other animal feed markets, with up to a 40% lower carbon-intensity than competing products.
Fluid Quip Technologies provided the MSC Technology as well as the engineering, design, procurement, construction management and startup services for the project.
Green Impact Partners finalizes carbon credit pathways for the Future Energy Park
Green Impact Partners Inc. announced that the company has finalized the carbon credit pathways under the Alberta Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction program for its flagship project, the Future Energy Park, to be located in Calgary, Alberta. In addition, as part of ongoing development activities, GIP has also successfully
finalized agreements to sequester the biogenic CO2 from the facility.
The Future Energy Park will be North America’s largest carbon negative biofuels facility, spanning both the agriculture and energy sectors by using non-food grade wheat to create ethanol and renewable natural gas (RNG). The project will create
The production in Nevada added eight additional fermentation tanks, new equipment, a corn unloading facility and silo storage, as well as close to 50 full-time jobs. Verbio collaborates with local growers in the region to secure feedstock for RNG and ethanol production.
The completion of this MSC System brings overall production capacity of FQT MSC protein products to over 750,000 tons per year. The thirteenth FQT MSC system is currently under construction at the Ensus U.K. Limited’s facility in the U.K.
approximately 800 jobs over 24 months during construction, and 100 direct and indirect jobs during operations. The facility’s estimated annual production will be approximately 4 million gigajoules of RNG, over 300 million litres of ethanol, and approximately 595,000 metric tons of wet distillers grains.
Enerflex and Skyven Technologies join RFA
The Renewable Fuels Association welcomes Enerflex Ltd. and Skyven Technologies as its newest associate members. These companies share RFA's dedication to promoting sustainable energy solutions and fostering the growth of the renewable fuels industry.
Founded in 1980, Enerflex is a premier integrated global provider of energy infrastructure and energy transition solutions.
Enerflex’s core expertise includes gas processing, compression, electric power and treated water solutions—from individual, modularized products and services to integrated custom solutions. Enerflex is committed to offering sustainable solutions for the future of natural gas.
Skyven Technologies is an energy-as-aservice company that decarbonizes hard-toabate industries by recovering waste heat to
Groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of Dairy Distillery Alliance’s sustainable biofuel project
In early August, the Michigan Milk Producers Association and Canadian Dairy Distillery celebrated the groundbreaking of their innovative $41 million ethanol plant in Constantine, Michigan. The event featured remarks from key figures including MMPA Board Chairman Doug Chapin, MMPA President and CEO Joe Diglio, and Dairy Distillery CEO Omid McDonald.
As a result of their partnership, the new facility will transform 14,000 tons of milk permeate, a dairy byproduct, into 2.2 million gallons of ethanol annually. When blended with transportation fuel, the permeate ethanol will offset 14,500 tons of carbon a year, equivalent to 5% of carbon footprint of the milk processed at Constantine.
ImagoAI is collaborating with USDA to develop a handheld mycotoxins test
ImagoAI Inc., a food safety technology developer, announced a new collaboration with the USDA, aiming to transform the landscape of mycotoxins testing by developing a handheld mycotoxins test making mycotoxins testing accessible anywhere.
Mycotoxins, toxic compounds pro-
duced by certain types of mold, pose a significant threat to food safety, impacting crops such as grains, nuts, and spices. Rapid and accurate testing is essential to prevent mycotoxins from entering the food supply chain.
ImagoAI’s Galaxy mycotoxins test, the
produce clean, emissions-free steam using its Arcturus steam generating heat pump. Skyven’s proven energy-as-a-service model allows industrial manufacturers to achieve significant carbon footprint reductions without the upfront capital expenditure, leading to profitable decarbonization.
Ethanol production at the plant is planned for 2025. The Dairy Distillery Alliance was initially announced last spring, marking the beginning of this groundbreaking partnership.
world’s fastest and first eco-friendly mycotoxins test, has recently received the AOAC PTM certificate, making it the world’s first certified hyperspectral imaging-based mycotoxins test. Galaxy delivers mycotoxins results in under 30 seconds without requiring any chemical consumables or reagents.
The ocean of data available to ethanol producers is rarely leveraged to its full potential simply because the sheer volume of information at a biorefinery, especially in raw form, can be overwhelming to process and utilize. With the right guidance and support, however, producers can harness data more effectively to maximize process efficiency and solve problems, explains Matthew Ban, director of technical services with CTE Global. Ban says each of the company’s three branches of support—Technical Services, Operations Services and its Technology Center—are rooted in the power of relationships and data. “We genuinely care about the success of the plants, and we’ll go the extra mile to help them,” he says. “We focus on forging strong, collaborative relationships, and earning trust by offering accurate, data-driven perspectives from fellow industry experts.”
CTE primarily works with ethanol producers in the Midwest but serves plants across the nation, from New York to California. Its Technical Services team supports ethanol biorefineries by offer-
ing a variety of products and services aimed at improved plant performance. Each technical account manager has spent substantial time working in and around ethanol production; in fact, the combined CTE team has over 300 years of industry experience. They use this combined experience and knowledge to help customers get the most out of their process. The technical services team spends a significant amount of time at the plant, troubleshooting with a data-driven approach and, to add another layer of data to learn from, analyzing samples that are sent to CTE’s Technology Center. If the data reveal process-driven concerns or opportunities, customers can benefit from CTE’s Operations Services and Support Team. This is where the benefit of collaboration comes in— the three pillars of CTE—Operations, Technical Services and the Technology Center working together to diagnose problems and validate solutions.
Focused on increasing the efficiency of every ethanol producer CTE works with, Jeff Unsinger, director of Operations Services and Support, and his team work to integrate and apply the data to a producer’s unique process. With experience operating various
PUSHING DATA BOUNDARIES
CTE Global, a yeast and enzyme supplier, goes above and beyond to leverage data and lab analyses, helping ethanol producers optimize their process.
By Katie Schroeder
ethanol plant process technologies including ICM, Delta T, Vogelbusch and others, CTE’s operations team is equipped to go into every ethanol plant, explains Unsinger. “We don’t ever tell anyone to do anything, but we’ll make a recommendation based on our background and experience, and customers tell us the extra set of eyes is beneficial,” he says.
Another way the operations team utilizes its expertise along with collected data, is by hosting the CTE Global Bioprocess Academy, a two-day course the company offers to customers for improving operators’ understanding of an ethanol plant’s inner workings. The customizable process gives operators an opportunity to understand why they do things at the plant a certain way, opening the door to operators making their own suggestions to improve the process. “Our current ‘textbook’ is everything from grain receiving to water treatment,” he says. “We cover all of it; it’s pretty intense and there’s a lot of information.”
CTE also takes the learning outside of the classroom and into the operators’ facility, pointing out things they discussed in the class and discussing ways to apply the information.
The whole plant focus is not limited to the way the class is taught; it also applies to the Operations team’s mindset when working with a producer. The ultimate goal is to help the ethanol plant work as efficiently and effectively as possible, beyond the scope of CTE’s own products—which are utilized in liquefaction and fermentation—into diagnosing and making recommendations on strategies to address issues throughout the whole production process.
Leveraging the Technology Center
Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, CTE’s Technology Center runs analyses for customers, such as tracing corn oil throughout the ethanol production process. The data gathered from these samples is entered into software for data visualization, running statistical analysis on it. If troubleshooting is the goal, CTE’s technical team will do anomaly detection and root-cause analysis; but if the goal is process optimization, the team will look at what can be changed in the process, or “recipe,” that would improve it by using predictive modeling or another type of analysis.
DATA DISCOVERY: CTE's Technology Center utilizes accurate analysis and data to develop yeast and enzymes for the ethanol industry.
PHOTO: CTE GLOBAL
The Technology Center enables CTE’s Operations and Technical Services teams to tailor strategies to fit each plant’s unique challenges and opportunities, “digging deep” to understand each customer’s facility, explains Pedro Peña, vice president of technology and innovation. “After CTE understands the limitations, bottlenecks, and what’s working, we can build a strategy to increase efficiency.” For example, if a plant needs to improve starch solubility, the team might introduce advanced enzymatic strategies that provide more efficient conversion of the corn matrix while supplementing yeast with additional nitrogen, Peña says. This collaborative, hands-on approach makes “all the difference in the world” in helping an ethanol producer reach the next level of performance. Peña gives three examples of how CTE uses the lab to analyze the whole process stream, starting with liquefaction, fermentation and substrate conversion and going through the back end. Starch samples are taken from liquefaction and DDGS to determine what percentage of the starch is solubilized and converted. Evaluating the efficiency of starch conversion enables CTE to understand the process and how much ethanol yield can be improved. Nitrogen profile testing is also used to understand how the yeast can perform better or save costs by assessing the content of amino acids, urea and ammonia. “Looking for that efficiency gain, that cost effectiveness gain, but most importantly, looking at the yeast health,” he
says. “The better we can optimize nitrogen, the better the yeast is going to perform, so we bring a lot of samples for nitrogen analysis.”
The third type of test—a recent addition to CTE’s analysis— is corn oil tracing. First, the corn coming into the plant is tested for fat content; then, that fat is traced through the plant to the back end. “We bring in samples from the centrifuge feed, we bring in samples from the decanters, and then the heavy phase, de-oil syrup,” Peña says. “Basically, following all the way from the corn [coming to the plant]: how much oil’s coming in ... [and all the way] through production, where’s the oil going? And can we identify bottlenecks in production? [Ultimately, if] we can point it out, then we can say, ‘Okay, let’s focus here to mitigate and loosen up this bottleneck.” The Operations and Technical Services teams work with the data gained from the Technology Center to strategize and apply solutions for producers.
Accelerating Innovation
Beyond the day-to-day testing done in the Technology Center, Peña is dedicated to applying what’s learned towards future innovations. Integration of machine learning and predictive modeling—a type of AI—constitutes one of the next steps forward in innovation for CTE, Peña explains. The data collected and analyzed by
PROCESS OPTIMIZATION: CTE's team works to gain a deep understanding of the producer's process, finding ways to improve efficiency.
PHOTO: CTE GLOBAL
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BOOTS ON THE GROUND: The Operations and Technical Services teams visit plants in person, offering producers their expertise and helping create strategies to address process problems.
PHOTO: CTE GLOBAL
COMPLETE EVALUATION: Understanding the plant's process involves evaluating the process stream, including liquefaction, fermentation and substrate conversion.
PHOTO: CTE GLOBAL
CTE’s team offers insight into the products that the ethanol industry needs, strategies to assist customers in plant optimization and what analyses the Technology Center should offer.
Predictive modeling and other new tools give CTE the opportunity to leverage even more data. Peña and his team, as well as the Technical Services team, are looking for ways to make advanced data analytics and algorithms work for their customers, augmenting their expertise and existing tools. “The goal is to have it complement what we’re already doing, basically, by giving us eyes where we don’t currently have [them], making sure we’re being very methodical and that the statistics that we’re using are robust and accurate,” Ban says, adding that AI will not replace the expert data analysts at CTE, but rather provide them with “a very powerful vehicle” for high-level performance on the job.
“The potential for data is huge, and it’s nothing but helpful,” he says. “I’m very biased, I guess I’m a data geek ... and I’m all for understanding the process as best we
can. You know, ... ‘knowledge is power,’ and the plants do generate so much data that it’s almost impossible for the human mind to connect it all, especially when you’re seeing data from multiple sites. It’s important to see the common themes and what’s there to learn from each situation.”
Corn oil maximization, low-carbon ethanol production from corn fiber conversion, viscosity analysis, and AI algorithmic yeast cell recognition are among the other innovations CTE is pursuing, explains Peña. ASTM approved a method that measures the conversion of cellulose into ethanol in early 2024, an industry-wide development that CTE is also assessing. “For us, we need to understand how ... we can best place our technology to convert as much cellulose as possible,” he says. “We’ve been looking into this [ASTM] approved method ... to really understand how we can drive that conversion to the highest level possible.”
Built on Trust
Ethanol producers instinctively want to protect their bottom line, requiring service providers to put in the time to develop trust and rapport with the producers they serve. Once established, Ban has seen relationships become a strong partnership that effectively work for the good of the plant. “At CTE, everything is relationship based,” he says. “We’re looking to build strong relationships with our customers, reassuring them that not only will they benefit from our products, but they will find value in our services. With CTE, they have a team of experts who are really able to help dig into issues, utilize data to help improve optimization and efficiency, and assist with opening up alternative revenue streams.”
Author: Katie Schroeder
Contact: katie.schroeder@bbiinternational.com
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Large trucks that haul heavy loads long distances or move massive amounts of material at mining sites typically rely on diesel-powered engines—except those fueled by ethanol, in part or in whole. From the ethanol-centric country of Brazil to the interstates of Iowa, engine developers are now designing and implementing new power plant options that can run and perform on ethanol without a lack of power. The strategy is directly connected to ethanol’s low-carbon characteristics and allowing big rigs to get big jobs done with lower emissions.
Dual-Fuel Trucks Powered by Ethanol and Diesel
To move iron ore at its mining operation in Brazil, Vale has announced a collaboration with two globally recognized names: Komatsu and Cummins. The goal of the collaboration is to customize the engines of iron ore mining trucks—vehicles of a particularly enormous size—to run on ethanol. The trucks will feature payloads of 230 to 290 tons (roughly the weight of 90 Tesla Cybertrucks). Vale hopes to work with its partners to convert existing diesel engines to run on a mix of ethanol and diesel that could reduce CO2 emissions by more than two-thirds with a 70 percent ethanol fuel ratio—a mix not unlike E85, but with diesel rather than gasoline.
ON THE
BIGGER SIDE
No longer just an intriguing concept, ethanol is now being used in place of diesel, and along with it, to power everything from over-the-road tractor trailers to mining trucks with 290-ton payloads.
By Luke Geiver
Cummins will develop, test and implement the engines for Vale. Luke Mosier, mining product planning and strategy manager at Cummins, says the partnership will be a fantastic way to use the company’s internal combustion engine expertise on a project that will further advance “future-ready technology.”
For Vale, the emissions reduction piece is big, but so is keeping its mining operations running. “Removing a fossil fuel like diesel from our mine operations is fundamental to achieving our decarbonization targets,” says José Baltazar, engineering director for mine and plant operations at Vale. “Applying the solution to the existing fleet without the need to immediately purchase new trucks is an excellent way to move forward with the decarbonization process while also maintaining our focus on reliability and production efficiency.”
ETHANOL-POWER, SUPERSIZED: Once operational, Vale will use Komatsu trucks, similar to these 830E models, with Cummins engines powered by a high ethanol blend to reduce emissions at its Brazilian iron ore mine.
Vale believes roughly 15 percent of its direct CO2 emissions stem from diesel emissions at its mines. Ludmilla Nascimento, energy and decarbonization director for Vale, said the company sees an opportunity to leverage ethanol, a readily available biofuel, as a competitive solution to its emissions issues.
Part of the push to infuse low-carbon ethanol into its existing fleet goes back to the company’s goals announced four years ago. By 2030, the company said in 2020, it would invest $4 billion to $6 billion to reduce its direct and indirect emissions.
Cummins has committed to what it calls the Destination Zero Strategy. It’s a commitment by the engine manufacturer to sustainably help customers navigate the energy transition using the company’s broad product portfolio.
Komatsu also wants to help its customers transition to biofuel usage. “We look forward to partnering with our customers as we manage the transition to biofuels while maintaining productive operations [and achieving] our emissions reduction goals,” said to Benjamin Stear, director of engineering and product design at technology for Komatsu.
Not A First
Although Komatsu and Cummins are both excited to see the story unfold, both chose to hold comment on the project until it develops further and the engine developments have been proven in the field. For large trucks, what’s happening at Vale isn’t the first instance of ethanol being used. The concept has been researched—and proven effective—in the U.S. dating back to 1997. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs out of Springfield, Illinois, released a study in June of that year titled: “The Ethanol Heavy-Duty Truck Fleet Demonstration Project.
According to the study, most information on ethanol-powered heavy-duty trucks
was unavailable. Vehicle and engine manufacturers were testing the process, but not necessarily sharing their findings. As far back as 1992, the first fleet of four ethanolpowered, heavy-duty, over-the-road trucks were put into service, the report noted. The trucks were GMCs, equipped with Detroit Diesel engines rated at 300 horsepower. They used E95. Archer Daniels Midland Trucking Inc. used the trucks almost every day for deliveries in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri, and one of the trucks reached more than 325,000 miles without a major overhaul.
The authors of the report offered a clear conclusion of the four trucks. “Ethanol engines are capable of the same, or better, performance, durability and emissions as diesel engines,” the authors wrote. The downside to running ethanol was related to the cost of ethanol compared to diesel at the time—the biofuel was roughly 1.8 times more costly than diesel on an energy equivalence basis—and the conversion required special engine parts and lubricants.
Over-the-Road Trucks Using Ethanol Today
In Sweden, Scania has been running
ethanol-powered trucks over-the-road since 2019. The transport solutions provider has more than 58,000 employees across 100 countries. Its ethanol-powered version produces 410 horsepower and can reduce CO2 emissions by 90 percent. The engine is a 13-liter inline six that uses similar compression tech to that of a diesel to reduce hardware modifications.
ClearFlame Engine Technologies, an Illinois-based company working to decarbonize heavy-duty diesel engines by upgrading them to run on super-high ethanol blends, has officially launched its products and services in the U.S. market and is booking revenue with cli-
YOUR PLANT IS UNIQUE
ROAD TESTED: Scania, one of the world’s largest transport providers, first began running its own ethanol-powered, over-the-road trucks in 2019, rigs like this one hauling freight in Argentina.
PHOTO: SCANIA
ents. Ethanol Producer Magazine first covered ClearFlame in 2020, detailing the startup’s work to establish its innovations in both the over-the-road and stationary power markets.
The company modifies diesel combustion engines—mainly the X15 produced by Cummins—to run on a wider range of fuels without sacrificing performance or increasing cost. To date, the company has focused its efforts on converting engines to run on E95 because of its low-emissions profile, scalability and availability.
According to BJ Johnson, CEO and cofounder, ClearFlame is booked out on its 2024 units. The company is offering both
“wet” and “dry” lease structures. With the dry lease, a customer will get an engine outfitted with ClearFlame’s ethanol tech. The wet lease goes much further and includes the fuel, infrastructure and maintenance. Above ground, skid-mounted tanks to store fuel are supplied at the customers preferred location. ClearFlame ensures the tanks will be fueled up and ready for dispensing. The customer, Johnson says, just pays one simple flat rate.
Nearly 90 percent of the original diesel components stay the same, Johnson says. Fuel injectors and plumbing are the main changes. The magic of the system is in the
proprietary control system developed by ClearFlame. Anyone could replace components, he says, but without their control system, it would be difficult to achieve the necessary torque curves and emissions levels; and federal compliance standards would be tough to meet.
The altered engines still require DEF but don’t require particulate filters because ethanol as a fuel doesn’t produce soot.
In January, the company sold its first truck to Vander Haag’s Inc. Vander Haag’s says its plan was to use the truck to deliver parts to its 11 locations across multiple states.
“Vander Haag’s has been an enthusiastic development partner for ClearFlame because of the platform’s market readiness [and potential to cut costs while] using existing infrastructure,” said John Vander Haag, CEO. “Many of our customers don’t have the capital, infrastructure or light-duty cycles needed for EV adoption, and we see a massive opportunity to increase our market share by bringing customers the sustainability they desire without increasing costs."
Johnson is proud of the fact that a truck upfitter like Vander Haag’s is using the ClearFlame technology. Their team is already eyeing large truck operations at mining sites. They are also considering the light truck market over time. Johnson wants to work with OEMs to develop an engine based on ClearFlame technology.
“There are a lot of thin-margin businesses out there that can’t be disrupted, but they still need to be transformed,” he says. Technology like ClearFlame’s can help meet the emissions reduction goals of most industries without totally requiring a new approach.
He also hopes the ethanol sector will continue to expand its understanding, promotion and potential use of ethanol-powered diesel engines.
“If you look at the history of alternative fuels [like LNG] in trucking,” he says, “the reason we have those options is because the fuel sector pushed to support OEMs. I would love to replicate that with the ethanol sector.”
“[Diesel] trucks are moving ethanol, for example,” he says.
TYPICAL TECH: The use of ethanol powered trucks in Sweden is common, along with buses and other over-the-road options.
PHOTO: SCANIA
MORE GREEN DOWNSTREAM
Technology development, government investment and partnerships are coalescing for substantive on-farm emissions reduction via low-CI fertilizers.
By Lisa Gibson
Farmers using a new microbial nitrogen fertilizer from Pivot Bio have reduced carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by more than 932,500 metric tons since 2022. With feedstock accounting for half of the carbon intensity of a gallon of ethanol, the impacts of such products and measures could be enormous.
Drawn to the potential of alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) sustainable aviation fuel, the ethanol industry is mobilizing to reduce its carbon footprint to thresholds required in the In-
flation Reduction Act, with most producers looking first to carbon capture. But reducing on-farm, or so-called “Scope 3” agricultural emissions has been a point of interest with many significant players—Cargill and ADM among them—looking to develop technologies and partnerships to reduce synthetic nitrogen use or get lower-carbon intensity fertilizer on the market and on farms.
“On-farm emissions, and their potential to lower future emissions could impact ethanol producer CI scores enough to fulfill the requirements of SAF feedstock,” says Mick Henderson, general manager of Commonwealth Agri-Energy in Hopkinsville, Ken-
tucky. “Reduced use of fossil-based fertilizers ... could be the largest impact to on-farm CI scores, which could then impact the CI scores of ethanol plants that use their products as our feedstock.”
A surge in recent activity surrounding the development of low-CI fertilizer and microbial advancements that improve the uptake of nitrogen could help accelerate widespread emissions reductions in corn cultivation. The U.S. Department of Energy is playing no small part, providing funding of up to $36 million to kickstart research and market adoption.
FUNDAMENTAL FERTILIZER: Pivot Bio employees treat seeds in a warehouse in Boone, Iowa. The company’s corn seed treatment provides 25% of the nitrogen fertilizer needs of the crop at planting.
PHOTO: PIVOT BIO
Sustainable and Economical
The U.S. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced in July the Technologies to Emend and Obviate Synthetic Nitrogen’s Toll on Emissions (TEOSYNTE) program to lower the CI of corn and sorghum cultivation through the use of less synthetic fertilizer. The funding will support the development of technologies that help reduce nitrous oxide emissions by 50% from a 2009 baseline, the year with the highest level of greenhouse gas emissions recorded in the U.S., according to Steven Singer, ARPA-E program director.
“Also, lowering synthetic fertilizer will lower the costs of production for farmers,” Singer says. With the increased price of fertilizer impacting farm economies, Singer anticipates farmers will readily explore options to reduce usage. “I think farmers are pretty eager to see these technologies, but, of course, they want these technologies verified, and they want to know that these new biologicals will work for them.
“This is where an improvement in sustainability also will be an economic benefit. It’s not like the farmer will have to pay more to get the sustainability benefit,” Singer says. “If it works, they will actually save money,
and that makes this approach particularly attractive.”
Proposals for the funding were due Aug. 13, and Singer anticipates announcing those selected for funding—approximately seven to nine projects—in early 2025.
“We decided to focus on corn and sorghum because today, in the U.S., those are the [primary] two crops that are made into ethanol,” Singer says. “Ethanol is approximately 10 percent of our transportation fuel for light-duty cars, and converting ethanol to a jet fuel is one of the pathways that is being looked at for sustainable aviation fuel.
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“We wanted to focus on something that would be relevant to today’s energy system, and the production of ethanol is [exactly that], but also relevant to the future of liquid transportation fuels, which is sustainable aviation fuel.”
In particular, TEOSYNTE will focus on genetic manipulations of plants and microbes. “We’re using the inherent biology in the plants—corn and sorghum—and the microbes that associate with those plants to reduce the use of fertilizer and help the plants take up nitrogen more efficiently,” Singer says.
The research and development phase of TEOSYNTE is expected to take about four years. “At the end of four years, what we want is technologies that have been proven out in the field,” Singer says. “Then we’re looking to find pathways to the marketplace of these technologies and eventually to these farmers who plant these crops.”
SORGHUM IN SCOPE: While ethanol production from grain sorghum, or milo, represents a small fraction of overall feedstock use in the U.S., it is generally considered to be the nation’s second most common crop, next to corn, for the production of fuel ethanol. For that reason, it was included in the scope of ARPA-E’s TEOSYNTE program.
Singer looks forward to reviewing proposals as the head of the program. “There are always people that you don’t anticipate coming up with really good ideas. That’s one of the exciting things about being a
HEAVY HARVEST: Pivot Bio’s farmer customers have reduced
tons since 2022.
PHOTO: PIVOT BIO
PHOTO: STOCK
program director—you get to see all those ideas. I’m actually really excited.”
Complementing TEOSYNTE is ARPA-E’s Systems for Monitoring and Analytics for Renewable Transportation Fuels from Agricultural Resources and Management (SMARTFARM) initiative. For the past three years, the program has been developing large-scale data sets and new technologies to measure on-farm emissions including nitrous oxide. The technologies have been proven at lab scale and are now moving on to field testing.
On and Near the Market
Meanwhile, Pivot Bio’s solutions are already in the field. Its flagship product is a seed treatment for corn that secures 25% of the crop’s nitrogen fertilizer needs at planting. The company also produces a microbial nitrogen fertilizer that reduces the amount of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer required to achieve target yield.
“Emissions are avoided upstream through a manufacturing process that results in 99% fewer emissions, midstream with streamlined transportation, and on the farm with reduced nitrous oxide volatiliza-
Sustainability
tion,” says Mitchell Craft, Pivot Bio spokesperson.
Pivot Bio’s microbes provide ammonia in small amounts to the roots of crops where it is directly taken up by the plant. “Our microbial fertilizer also results in a larger root mass, which improves the uptake of added nitrogen and phosphorus, further improving the efficient uptake of nutrients, reducing loss,” Craft says.
Craft says Pivot Bio focuses on the quantity of synthetic nitrogen applied to corn and sorghum because it’s the only method with scientific consensus to reduce nitrous oxide emissions. “Reducing N2O emissions by replacing synthetic nitrogen fertilizer with biological approaches will improve the sustainability of ethanol production from corn and sorghum, reducing GHG emissions in agriculture and lowering the CI of both ethanol fuel and ethanolderived SAF.”
The company also boasts its N-OVATOR program, which connects farmers with companies looking to achieve Scope 3 emissions reduction goals through purchasing credits. It’s a way to bring a new revenue stream to farmers for growing more
PUSH UNLEADED 88 AT THE PUMP NATURE
sustainable crops, Craft says. The largest transaction to date through the program was 100,000 nitrogen credits to a global food and beverage company, representing 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, avoided by more than 450 farmers across 300,000 acres. “In total, the growers in this insetting partnership replaced over 10 million pounds of synthetic fertilizer,” Craft cites.
Similarly, POET and CF Industries Holdings Inc. in July announced their collaboration to advance the production and use of low-carbon ammonia fertilizer. Citing ammonia’s significant impact on the lifecycle CI of corn and ethanol, the companies announced they will begin demonstrations this fall and into spring 2025, using CF Industries’ green ammonia from its Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana. Green ammonia, according to CF Industries, is produced with hydrogen sourced from an electrolysis-based production process that emits no carbon dioxide. This low-carbon ammonia can reduce the CI of ethanol up to 10%, according to the companies’ joint press release
The partners also announced intentions to develop a low-carbon fertilizer supply chain to track, validate and certify CI reductions through use of the low-carbon ammonia. “This includes implementing supply plans with fertilizer retailers serving farms that supply corn to these POET bioprocessing plants, and developing monetization opportunities for farmers that use this low-carbon fertilizer,” the joint press release states.
Building Momentum
While numerous options to lower the CI of corn production are surfacing, Henderson says, the downstream market for lower-CI ethanol is not fully established. The IRA incentivizes SAF production, but it is not currently sufficient to drive a more favorable basis farmers would likely expect for a lower-CI bushel. In addition, IRA’s 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit sunsets in 2027, which doesn’t allow time for development and maintenance of a robust industry. “If it’s not extended, that timeline is only good for early adopters,” Henderson says.
DRIVING DOWN: POET, the largest ethanol producer in the U.S., and CF Industries, the world’s largest producer of ammonia, are collaborating on low-carbon ammonia fertilizer production and use. CF Industries already makes green ammonia at its massive Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana, pictured in the background.
PHOTO: STOCK
Sustainability
But the momentum gained through ARPA-E funding, which saves farmers money, along with credits that shape a revenue stream for farmers and collaborative programs like Pivot Bio’s NOVATOR, together begin to build the infrastructure needed to stand up a sustainable fertilizer industry, Henderson says. “Yes, that starts to move the needle.”
Craft says Pivot Bio is “deeply aligned” with ARPA-E’s goal of reducing nitrous oxide emissions in agriculture and ethanol through biological approaches. Without specifically stating whether Pivot Bio will submit a proposal to TEOSYNTE, Craft says, “We support the inclusion of improved nitrogen management practices in U.S. DOE’s work to quantify and mitigate GHG emissions and, in particular, to make meaningful progress on biofuel’s contribution to our nation’s transportation emissions.”
In discussing ARPA-E’s prioritization of ethanol feedstocks in its TEOSYNTE initiative, Singer says, “I think we’ve realized that the ethanol industry plays an important role, and we want to develop technologies that will improve it—because ethanol is an important part of our energy ecosystem. We want to develop technologies that make it more sustainable and also help the U.S. improve energy security.”
Author: Lisa Gibson Contact: writer@bbiinternational.com
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Analytics Intelligent Data Distillation
Filtering through vast amounts of information and scenarios continuously, AI-powered dashboards help ethanol plants detect, diagnose and more quickly resolve issues.
By Luke Geiver
Artificial Intelligence has earned a real place at many modern ethanol plants thanks to engineers like Kelly Whittenberg. “Your plant is not only producing ethanol every day, but also a river of data,” says Whittenberg, a senior asset management engineer at Black & Veatch Corp. Whittenberg has worked in several large industries—including ethanol—to create AI-assisted business intelligence dashboards that enhance plant performance and efficiency while also helping prevent unplanned outages.
For the ethanol sector, Whittenberg has linked the capabilities of fast-acting AI with the engineering and monitoring ability of Black & Veatch. Pairing AI with the company’s core capabilities is enabling ethanol plants to detect, diagnose and resolve issues of all kinds faster than ever. The use of the AI-infused system lags only 15 minutes behind real-time operations and can monitor everything from bearing temps in decanter centrifuges to evaporator cleaning effectiveness.
“We are looking at a much broader spectrum of data than the plants have the capacity to look at,” Whittenberg says.
From the framework of a Microsoft Power BI (business intelligence) platform designed for biorefineries, Whittenberg and his team are now able to provide ethanol producers with insight captured on a dashboard customized in part with the help of ethanol plant managers. Anyone with access can read the information and get alerts from anywhere with an internet connection. Historically, solutions like this would be software purchased and installed on a PC at a facility, often with a “seat” license for each user. Because BI dashboards are applications running in a browser, Whittenberg says, there is no software to download and the dashboard can be shared across an organization, if desired.
The dashboards don’t replace primary control systems at a plant, but they do, however, monitor how the plant should be running versus how the plant is actually running. The combination of thousands of models and operational inputs allows the AI to create an expected outcome, which it displays via line graph or other means on the dashboard. Imagine two horizontal lines on your screen. One is red, the other blue. The red line is what the AI predicts for the plant. The blue line is how the plant is actually
operating. When the two lines are matched, the plant is running as it should. When the blue line (actual operating conditions) is above or below the red line (AI prediction), the plant isn’t running as it should. The Black & Veatch system monitors what is actually happening at the plant, compares the actual to the AI-model and provides alerts or insight to the operators. Of course, as Whittenberg says, that is the simplified explanation of what is really happening. As his full explanation of the Power BI dashboard shows, there is much more to know about the system and its benefits.
Building AI-Driven BI Dashboards
To understand how the Power BI dashboards are built, you first must know how much information Whittenberg and his team look at. To monitor most ethanol plants, the team considers the balance of a biorefinery, which roughly includes 220 plant assets, 3,000 data points, more than 460 models (of how the plant could be operating given certain variables), 116 operating modes (full capacity, during winter, etc.) and overall performance metrics. The dashboards for ethanol plants can be customized, but
typically include mash and fermenter information, the beer column feed, total sieve feed rates, backsets, sieve efficiencies, CORT feed densities, 190 proof levels and more. The systems show ranges and data over the last seven days. Doing so helps the plant managers or engineers monitoring the system detect issues as trends unfold. If a section of the dashboard shows stability for five days straight, but then shows a change during the last two days, there is reason to believe something should be looked at, either through the data or physical inspection. The dashboards display information in three ways: normal, normal violation and limit violations. The normal range means the plant is operating within its expected range. The normal violation shows that a plant is still operating in its expected range but certain variables are just outside of that given range. In most cases, Whittenberg says, the normal violation display happens because the ranges an operating model are set at—temperatures, for example—are fairly tight. Then, there is the limit violation display. In those instances, the actual operation of the plant is operating well outside of what the AI predicted it should be.
To customize a dashboard, the team builds a hierarchy of the
ALL SYSYTEMS CHECK: An example of a Power BI dashboard set up for an ethanol plant, displaying various operational data over the course of a month.
SOURCE: BLACK & VEATCH, MICROSOFT POWER BI
information a plant would want to know. Then, they backfill or search for data that they can collect linked to the main areas of operation that a plant wants to hone in on. After that, the team will create operating modes for a wide range of operating conditions and other factors that would constitute an operating model. And, finally, they use AI to “train” the models to create predictive modeling of how a plant should operate given particular operating modes.
“It takes about three months to put together,” Whittenberg says. “[But when it is complete], everything someone needs to know about an ethanol plant can be easily covered [via dashboard] in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee.”
The team has to wade through 10,000-plus measured parameters in a plant control system during the initial configuration process of AI setup. The more information the AI gets, the more it can give.
“There is an actual and an expected mode of operation at a plant. Our system can call out when the plant is not actually operating as expected,” Whittenberg says.
Measured inputs might include temps on bearings, oil pressure readings or airflow sensors for nearly any part of the plant. The AI prediction modeling will pump out hundreds of models, each with expected values or trend lines of how certain actions should stay on in the future. But Whittenberg says plant managers shouldn’t fear
that such a robust system will flood them with data and insights they might not know how to act on or interpret. “In our experience,” he says of working with several industries that run various types of plants, “they have neither the tools or bandwidth to monitor the balance of plant data in an efficient and consistent manner [outside the structure of the AI-powered system].”
After the AI prediction modeling is complete, an alert screening system is set up to monitor roughly 10 to 50 alerts per day that are generated by the AI system when the actual operating expectations of the plant fall outside of an operating value predetermined by AI. A team of engineers can look at the alerts, flag any that are truly worth looking at and then contact the plants directly with one to two plant escalation events per day, week or as frequently as necessary. Sometimes the escalation calls will be low-stress—“you might want to just check this,” sort of conversations. Others will be more urgent. And sometimes, the escalation calls will reveal an issue the plant is having, or may soon have, that operators at the facility would have never been able to see without the power of the AI system.
The Reality of AI Monitoring: Case Study Takeaways
Whittenberg knows it’s hard to see what AI-powered monitoring can actually bring to a plant. That’s why he’s quick to provide several
real-life examples of how the system has benefited his ethanol clients. “The case studies are intended to show how AI tools can bring attention to concerning changes that a plant may not be aware of,” he says. “With AI tools, the plant can detect issues early and act before there is loss of production or loss of equipment.”
In one instance, he explains, the dashboard and AI-monitoring system showed a quick rise in a bearing temp. That was an easy one that required the plant to be notified and a bearing gasket to be fixed. From that, he says, “No trip or loss of equipment happened due to a failed bearing.”
In another instance, the dashboard’s expected-versus-actual operating lines revealed an issue with the lube oil cooling controls for a corn oil centrifuge. After noticing a difference in lube oil temperature ranges in its system and alerting the plant, the facility was able to reduce the amount of cooling water needed for its centrifuge. A lube oil temp control solenoid had failed and was causing an irregular amount of water to be used.
Sometimes the dashboard can use fermenter tank level changes to help show how different yeasts impact fermentations. In one example, Whittenberg says they were able to see how cream yeasts were performing differently than box yeasts.
“A lot of plants want help with their evaporators,” he says. “They have to clean the equipment but they don’t always know which one to clean except maybe which evaporator was cleaned the last time.”
The Power BI dashboard Whittenberg created for a client asking that very question was able to show four evaporators over the course of a month. By monitoring condensate flow and predicting what the condensate flow should be, they were able to see trends in how the flow dropped, or could be expected to, in each evaporator. That knowledge informed the plant on which evaporator should be cleaned.
Adding AI To Ethanol Production
Some of the plants Whittenberg’s team works with like to see numbers. They want to see the value brought in by AI in terms of dollars. Others are more relaxed and see the value without monetary correlation, he says. To explain the cost of the system, Whittenberg offers this: The ROI is many times greater than the cost of service.
In most cases, the team will rely on the existing monitoring and data feeds already available at a plant. The team will offer suggestions to plants if they believe more monitoring capabilities are warranted or needed. Most plants are monitored five days a week, 24-hoursa-day. If a plant has the bandwidth, the in-house team will be able to monitor the dashboard and take any necessary action. Most successful organizations assign people to the monitoring and dashboard tasks, Whittenberg says. Certain facilities will outsource that responsibility to a third party.
The number one reason these types of systems fail, he says, is because the original project champion gets promoted or moves on. “That’s why it’s important to have a succession plan in place and [commit to] broad training on the tools,” he says.
AI and dashboards hold a lot of promise for the ethanol industry, Whittenberg also says. But achieving success will take a combination of people, processes and the right tools to get there.
“In the end,” he says, “AI dashboards help users get to the right answer more quickly and accurately.”
Author: Luke Geiver Contact: writer@bbiinternational.com
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Unlocking D3 RINs with In-Situ Ethanol Analysis
Researchers break down the potential of in-situ cellulosic ethanol production and their analytical solution to determining the amount of cellulosic ethanol produced in-situ.
By David Mangan and Matt Nichols
In-situ corn-kernel fiber conversion has the potential to open the door to cellulosic ethanol volumes; however, analytical challenges have limited producers' ability to generate RINs from these technologies. A collaboration between Neogen and several key industry stakeholders saw the development of an analytical method that would enable producers to accurately determine how much ethanol is generated from starch versus from fiber when utilizing an in-situ fiber conversion process. The Neogen scientists involved in making this analysis a reality elucidate the history leading to its approval, as well as its current and future impacts on the ethanol industry.
Background
Anthropogenic (man-made) greenhouse gas emissions contribute
significantly to global climate change. Numerous national and international governmental and scientific agencies have pinpointed internal combustion engine-based road vehicles as a major contributor to climate change, prioritizing the reduction of emissions through existing and innovative technologies. Policymakers and stakeholders have identified ethanol as a substantial means of reducing vehicular carbon emissions to achieve net zero and meet intermediate reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
Ethanol has successfully reduced carbon emissions in the United States by using it blended with gasoline at a 10% ratio. There is an additional goal of advocating the usage of E15, a 15% ethanol blend. Most internal combustion engine vehicles manufactured since 2001 can utilize gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, representing another means to significantly reducing carbon emissions. The success of the ethanol industry in making notable reductions with existing ethanol blends and
CONTRIBUTION: The claims and statements made in this article belong exclusively to the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ethanol Producer Magazine or its advertisers. All questions pertaining to this article should be directed to the author(s).
ACCURATE ANALYSIS: Scientists at Neogen/Megazyme collaborated with NREL to develop analyses that would accurately measure the amount of cellulosic ethanol produced when utilizing an in-situ process. PHOTO: NEOGEN
profitably producing ethanol is a testament to the industry’s ingenuity, continuous improvement and business acumen in challenging economic environments. While significant advancements have been made in starch-based ethanol, the cellulosic ethanol segment remains largely untapped and inaccessible to most of the industry.
Challenges in Cellulosic Ethanol Production
When the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) was enacted in 2007, it set ambitious targets of 15 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol production by 2022. However, the technology to produce ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, such as switchgrass and corn stover, has yet to become commercially viable. This is despite financial incentives available through the RFS program where D3 RINs, generated upon cellulosic ethanol production, consistently trade at a significant premium to D6 RINs, derived from traditional corn starch bioethanol processes.
Bioethanol Manufacturing Processes
Various modified processes exist within bioethanol manufacturing operations throughout the US, but for simplicity, we can categorize them into three broad types:
Type 1: The most widespread process involves converting the starch content in corn biomass to ethanol, generating D6 RINs. D6 RINs represent a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from baseline petroleum-based fuel.
Type 2: This process requires the separation of the residual, almost completely destarched biomass from a typical Type 1 process. This nonstarch carbohydrate biomass can be degraded through chemoenzymatic hydrolysis to simple sugars, then fermented to produce bioethanol, generating highly valuable D3 RINs. D3 RINs represent a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from baseline petroleum-based fuel.
Type 3: This process involves the simultaneous conversion of the starch and non-starch components of corn kernel biomass in a single fermenter tank, often described as in-situ corn kernel fiber (CKF) fermentation. The major advantage of the Type 3 process is that it requires little to no additional capital investment for plants already operating the traditional Type 1 process. However, accurately determining the proportion of ethanol derived from starch (D6 RINs) versus corn kernel fiber (D3 RINs) presents a significant analytical challenge.
The Long Road to EPA Approval
Several analytical solution providers previously worked on methodologies to address this issue. In 2017, six ethanol plants were approved by the EPA to generate D3 RINs from in-situ CKF processes. However, within a year the EPA developed concerns about the analytical data supporting these plants and decided not to approve any new registrations for this process type.
In 2019, the EPA issued a guidance document describing options for the biofuel industry to obtain new facility registrations. The preferred approach recommended using a published voluntary consensus standard body (VCSB) method, but no such method existed.
In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
published a seminal article describing a method for measuring cellulosic glucan content in corn biomass. This method, coupled with E-3181, seemed to be the key to unlocking EPA approval. Unfortunately, the analytical biases acknowledged by the authors in the NREL article, particularly the inability to differentiate between cellulosic content and yeast carbohydrates generated during fermentation, significantly masked the production of cellulosic ethanol, and it was not adopted by producers.
Around this time, Megazyme, an analytic reagent and method development SME, utilized its parent company Neogen's long-term relationships with industry stakeholders—established through Neogen's expertise in mycotoxins and food safety monitoring—to investigate the analytical challenge.
ASTM Standard E-3417
A working group led by David Mangan (Neogen/Megazyme) and Justin Sluiter (NREL) was established within ASTM. This group conducted a highly collaborative method development program over the past two years, finally resulting in the ASTM approval of a new standard, E-3417, in January 2024. This standard met the VCSB method requirement that the EPA first requested five years earlier. By July 2024, the EPA had approved 32 new bioethanol facilities for D3 RIN generation from in-situ CKF conversion processes, nearly eight years after their last approval for this application. Currently, many more facilities have registrations in process. This new ASTM method has the potential to be adopted by most bioethanol producers and bring significant financial benefits to the industry. One additional developmental area for this method is broadening the sample scope of E-3417 to include additional feedstocks such as milo.
Broader Perspectives for the Industry
While many producers in or near California have benefited from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program for years, the RFS program's nationwide reach will impact producers across the US. The D3 RIN ethanol market requires production records to validate cellulosic ethanol production; however, it does not require physical delivery to California, unlike the LCFS.
With a 1% cellulosic ethanol production level, a D6-D3 RIN spread of $2.50, and a total market production capacity of 17 billion gallons, D3 RIN subsidies could be worth $425 million annually in financial uplift for the bioethanol industry. This direct fiscal benefit is supplementary to additional benefits, including reduced carbon intensity scores, increased corn oil yields, biofuel tax credits, and potential future access to new markets such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel with Alcohol to Jet processes.
Unlocking D3 RINs with in-situ ethanol production promises considerable financial benefits and a path toward a more sustainable future. For more information, contact Neogen at cellusmart@neogen. com.
Authors: Matt Nichols, Director of Biofuels Strategic Market mnichols@neogen.com David Mangan, R&D Director dmangan@neogen.com
