New technology will increase Aylmer plant's ethanol production by 10 per cent

Monday, December 23, 2013

by JOE CALLAHAN

Chief executive officer Jim Grey confirmed Friday that IGPC Ethanol Inc. of Aylmer Ontario has entered into an agreement with ICM, Inc. of Colwich Kansas to become the first Canadian adopter of ICM’s Generation 1.5 technology in the production of corn fiber cellulosic ethanol.

Grey says that implementing the agreement will be a roughly $30 million investment in what he describes as “bolt-on” technology (technology that is added to the existing facility). Grey says that the big advantage to the technology is that it is much less expensive than building a new plant that he estimates to be roughly $200 million.

Production from the modified facility will commence in mid-2015 at the plant in Aylmer.

The Generation 1.5™ technology will enable IGPC to remove the outer layer of the kernel of corn and convert it to ethanol whereas in the previous process this portion of the corn was diverted to its co-product, distiller’s grain that is sold as animal feed. Grey says that ethanol yields will increase by 10 per cent and that the co-product will have a higher protein content and be a better feed.

“This is a game-changer,” says Grey. “When you can effectively change your yield by 10 per cent, that’s enormous.  It goes right to the bottom line.”

Grey says that ICM Inc. will play an important role in training IGPC’s staff at the U.S. facility.

IGPC Ethanol Inc. is wholly owned by Integrated Grain Processors Cooperative and has 700 to 800 members. It produces approximately 170 million liters of ethanol annually. BF