March 17, 2014

 

 

Quad County Corn Processors will open its second farmer-owned ethanol facility in Iowa which they call adding cellulosic ethanol or 'ACE', according to its chief executive officer DeLayne Johnson.

 

In short, the process involves converting and processing more from each kernel of corn. The process, Johnson says, was invented at Quad County.

 

The process ferments the starch first and then the fibre, rather than a concurrent regimen that ferments both at the same time. Johnson expects ethanol output to jump 6% as a result.

 

The 'ACE' in this ethanol deck, Johnson predicts, will boost corn oil output by three times while also increasing protein content in the feed, turning the old distillers grain into a product more like corn gluten meal.

 

The company broke ground in July on an US$8.5 million expansion for this process. It culminated four years of research that saw Quad County employees develop state-of-the-art technology to make it happen.

 

The Iowa Power Fund joined the USDA and the US Department of Energy in contributing a total of US$5.7 million in grants for the effort. The balance of the project comes from Quad County via bank financing.

 

Quad County Processors started 14 years ago with the investment of some 350 local growers and investors.

 

"It's exciting to see one of the smaller ethanol plants in Iowa adding some forward-looking technology," comments Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw. "This new bolt-on process will greatly improve much efficiency at this plant, ultimately reducing the amount of energy used to produce a gallon of ethanol."

 

According to Johnson, that should resonate at the pump as boosting the production of fuel from the same source should result in lower prices for consumers.