Production Process

The facility uses proven technology to convert corn starch to ethanol using yeast and enzymes; the ethanol is then stripped and refined to 200 proof (measure of purity) before denaturant is added. The remaining factions of the corn are then dried and sold as livestock feed, either as Dried Distillers Grain with solubles (DDGs) or Modified Wet Distillers Grain with solubles (MWDGs). This process yields approximately 2.80 gallons denatured ethanol from each bushel of corn processed. The ethanol is used as a fuel additive in gasoline (generally 10% addition) or sold as E85 (85% ethanol 15% gasoline) for use in Flex Fuel vehicles. The MWDGs is used mainly for cattle feed, while DDGs has more varied applications including cattle feed, swine feed as well as poultry. Over the last 20 years the technology and efficiency have improved tremendously so that modern plants are significantly more energy efficient, produce higher yields, use and discharge less water, and are very environmentally friendly.

The facility incorporates state of the art equipment, control programs and pollution control equipment to manage the process. All production employees are trained to manage the process under all conditions, and emphasis is placed on maintaining the quality of products. Ensuring the safety of all personnel is the primary objective in any situation.

The ability to produce ethanol while maintaining a clean environment is a key factor to our success and we have installed a number of professionally engineered and sophisticated equipment systems that ensure that we not only meet but exceed the stringent requirements developed for the ethanol industry. The environmental equipment includes items such as:

Pollution Control Equipment

Thermal Oxidizer (TO):

Uses thermal energy to break down volatile and aromatic compounds to CO2, all the exhaust streams from the driers are passed through the combustion chamber of the gas fired TO, the energy released in this combustion process is used to generate steam for the plant. The facility has installed sophisticated continuous stack monitoring equipment to ensure that only clean
steam is discharged from the TO.

CO2 Scrubber:

All the CO2 vented from the fermenters and beerwell is scrubbed with fresh water
and Sodium Sulphite, this scrubs the CO2 of any alcohol, acetaldehydes and other Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), the water used in the CO2 scrubbing process is reclaimed into the process via the cook water tank.

Methanator Flare:

Process condensate is processed through the methanators, these are active
sludge beds with organisms that digest VOC and then release methane gas as a by product; the methane gas is fed as a supplemental energy source for the driers, when the driers are not operating the methane is combusted to CO2 in the methanator flare.

Truck Load Out Flare:

During the process of loading a truck, vapors are displaced, and these
vapors are drawn into a flare that combusts them into CO2 and preventing any VOC from entering the atmosphere.

Tanks:

All product storage tanks use an outer roof and an inner floating roof incorporating a dual seal mechanism that prevents VOC from venting from the tank during volume changes.

Bag Houses:

All grain conveyors use bag houses that generate a vacuum that draws excess dust out of the conveyors, the dust is then collected and re-introduced back into the conveyors. This process minimizes dust emissions from the plant and improves the process efficiency. DDG load out conveyors and spouts are also fitted with bag houses that draws displaced dust away from the spout and re-introduces them back into the product conveying systems.

Plant Discharges:

Only non-process contact water is discharged from the plant; the source of this
water is cooling tower blow downs, Reverse Osmosis reject and water softener regeneration water. All water that is introduced into the process is recycled and is not discharged from the plant