Dry Mill Ethanol Plants – Today’s Technology and Tomorrow’s Future
Current Energy Efficiency
• 34,000 Btu of energy per denatured gallon of ethanol– With all distiller’s dried
• 0.75 Kwh of electricity per denatured gallon of ethanol
• Continually improving efficiency of equipment energy use, waste heat recapture and recycling
Technology Advancements with Inputs
• Increased Yield– Corn genetics
modified to produce highly fermentable-starch varieties for industrial uses
– Production and yield increases thru pest, disease and climatic resistance
• Improved Enzymes– Continually utilizing
higher percentages of a corn kernel’s starch content
Optimization of Plant Functions
• Dry-mill product lines expanding– Germ removal – lower
fat/higher protein– Fiber removal – higher
protein/less DDGS tonnage– DDGS characteristics can
be optimized for certain species
Today’s DDGS Consumers
Optimization of Plant Functions
• Corn oil extraction– Can be extracted front end for food-grade corn oil– Can be extracted on the back end for biodiesel
production– Increases protein in distiller’s grains, but reduces
their energy value
• Pursuit of high value co-products (usually in low volumes and often difficult/expensive to extract)– Nutriceuticals– Proteins
Distiller’s Grains–Dryer Technology
• Design affects efficiency, quality of product• Lower Temperature dryers improve quality
of the product + efficiency of the plant
Cost Reduction Advancements
• Enzymatic Milling– Lower temperature technology reduces
need for heating, reducing energy costs– Requires special enzymes
• Biomass as lower cost energy source– Existing coal burners originally designed to
burn biomass– Corn stover, corn fiber possible fuel sources
for plants– Logistics, handling and compliance
requirements
Technology Drivers
• What will determine how fuel ethanol production technology evolves?– Reliability of the technology!– Location of ethanol production
• Access to feedstocks – grains and others• Proximity and supply of alternative energy
sources (biomass, manure, etc.)
– Federal and state programs to promote energy crops – both technology and agronomic structures
Technology Drivers
PADD 1’04 Actual - 589
million gal.Projected New –1.2 billion gal.
(MTBE)
PADD 2’04 Actual - 1.8 billion gallons
Potential New – 2.0 billion gallons
PADD 3’04 Actual - 19.2 million gallons
Projected New – 500 million gallons – (MTBE)
PADD 4 ’04 Actual - 37 million gallons
Projected New – 100 million gallons
PADD 5’04 Actual - 1.1 billion
GallonsProjected New – 600 million
Gallons – (10% Blend)
– Location of ethanol use• Alternative energy technologies• Alternative feedstock conversion technologies when
financially viable
Fuel Ethanol Production’s - The Era of “Applied Research”
• Water use, quality– Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Energy availability– Natural gas cost and supply driving rapid
innovation• Enzyme strength
– Stronger enzymes=lower temperature– Cellulosic ethanol technology
• Feedstock Genetics– Grain and Energy Crops
• Logistical Improvements tied to Production Practices