CELLULOSIC ETHANOL
Pathways 2 rulemaking. Two types of kernel fiber ethanol production were approved including separate processing and coprocessing. In 2014, EPA approved QCCP as the first registrant in D3 kernel fiber ethanol using separate processing.
Also, in 2015, EPA approved Pacific Ethanol Stockton using the Edeniq Pathway as the first registrant using simultaneous coprocessing. Through December 2017, EPA registered the following producers to make cellulosic ethanol using
Increase ethanol output & corn oil capture with Nalco Water’s Thin Stillage Clarification process
Edeniq’s coprocessing technology: Flint Hills Resources Iowa Falls and Flint Hills Resources Shell Rock, both in Iowa; Little Sioux Corn Processors, Marcus, Iowa; Siouxland Energy, Sioux Center, Iowa; and Mid America Bio Energy, parent of Mid America. In 2017, EPA allowed producers to employ both D3 kernel fiber and efficient producer pathways, beginning with Little Sioux Corn Processors, and established more stringent variation criteria for registration of new coprocessing facilities. In the fourth quarter of 2017, Edeniq reported that overall plant trial and EPA registration was being accomplished in four to six months. Notably, the EPA took just seven weeks for the last registration approval in December 2017. In 2018, however, EPA has stopped posting D3 kernel fiber coprocessing sites on its pending registrations list and indicates that senior EPA officials are reviewing certain requirements for the kernel fiber registration process.
Q. What is the difference between separate and coprocessing? A. Separate processing uses a sepa-
More reasons to partner with Nalco Water: Increase Ethanol Yield
Improve Corn Oil Recovery
R educe nonfermentable solids in back set
C apture 85%+ of crude oil present in Thin Stillage
H eighten starch loading in mash
Call Jason Van’t Hul today at 605-360-6657 to find out more. 66 | ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE | JUNE 2018
Save Energy R educing Thin Stillage solids = higher syrup solids and less water to dryers
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rate weak acid hydrolysis step which converts more of the kernel fiber and can allow for 7 to 10 percent kernel fiber gallons. The QCCP process uses Enogen corn, teamed with Syngenta under the Cellerate brand. To date, QCCP has led the country in cellulosic ethanol production. Other companies are developing their own separate processing technologies including the ICM Gen 1.5 kernel fiber technology being installed at Element in Colwich, Kansas, and D3MAX being evaluated at ACE Ethanol in Stanley, Wisconsin.