April 9, 2007

German company to produce ethanol from whey

Whey, a byproduct from cheese production, would soon be used to produce ethanol.

German dairy products group Theo Muller said it would start construction of a ethanol plant this month using whey as a raw material, a world-first.

The group, located in Leppersdorf near Dresden, is investing EUR 20 million (US$27 million) in the plant, which would come online by the end of 2007.

Stefan Muller, CEO of the group, said the plant would have a maximum capacity of 10 million litres (2.64 million gallons) of ethanol a year.

The lactose present in whey is yeast fermented and the resultant ethanol is distilled off and purified.

Being a dairy company means the company would have cheap and easy access to whey, making it a very competitive ethanol producer, Muller said.