Co-patented technology application cuts natural gas consumption by more than 50%
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Dec. 12, 2007 –It’s full steam ahead for four industry-leading companies who have partnered to market, design, install and arrange financing for an innovative, biomass-fueled, steam production technology that significantly reduces the
cost to produce ethanol.
Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation, Harris Companies, a mechanical contracting firm; and AE&E – Von Roll, Inc., a technology provider of steam generating systems using renewable, waste and conventional fuels, have together patented* a technology application that helps ethanol plants run more efficiently, reduce emissions and improve their overall energy balance. FCStone Carbon, LLC has joined the patent owners to provide marketing and arrange financing options for ethanol producers interested in the technology.
“With ethanol prices lower than they’ve been in recent years and capital costs required for expanding or building new plants soaring, producers are looking for ways to operate more efficiently and reduce costs,” said Tom Aller, president, IPL. “Collectively, our partners offer ethanol producers a suite of services to reduce fuel costs and emissions, while requiring minimal upfront capital dollars. This technology is the answer to being a low-cost ethanol producer in today’s competitive marketplace.”
The patented process involves the way steam is produced for the ethanol manufacturing process. Using AE&E-Von Roll’s fluidized bed reactor technology, residue and byproducts of making ethanol are used as fuel to generate steam used in the plant. This process reduces the amount of natural gas needed by the whole plant by more than 50 percent while reducing emissions at the plant. This means lower operating costs and a better environmental impact.
As ethanol production has more than doubled in the past eight years, energy balance is a key issue. This technology will help producers reduce energy consumption while increasing the efficiencies of ethanol production.
Energy costs for a typical 50-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant represent approximately 20 percent of the plants total annual operating costs. For every gallon of ethanol produced, 29 cents is spent on natural gas and four cents is spent on electricity.
“We see this as another risk mitigation and cost reduction tool that we can bring to the industry,” said Mike Knobbe, president, FCStone Carbon, LLC. “Our objective is to help develop and commercialize technologies that enable our customers to improve efficiencies, reduce their environmental impact and capture green house gas emissions credits, which we can market on their behalf. The AE&E-Von Roll fluidized bed process is a proven state of the art technology that will accomplish that objective.”
The patented steam production process was first implemented in the United States in Winnebago, Minn., at Corn Plus Cooperative and is yielding impressive results. The AE&E-Von Roll fluidized bed boiler system satisfies up to 100 percent of the plant’s need for process steam and has resulted in the reduction of total plant natural gas consumption of greater than 52 percent. Other ethanol plants are currently considering the technology.
For more information, call 1-800-373-1303, ext. 786-4320 or send email to salesupportCID@alliantenergy.com
* Patent # 7,263,934
AE&E – Von Roll, Inc. is a member of the A-Tec group of companies, a global provider of combustion, steam generation, and flue gas cleaning solutions. We specialize in generating energy from a wide range of renewable and conventional fuels, such as municipal and industrial wastes, biomass, coal, etc., while meeting the most stringent environmental regulations. Our patented process for the efficient combustion of ethanol industry byproducts can help ethanol facilities achieve fossil fuel independence and become low-cost producer. Visit our website at www.aee.co.at
Alliant Energy is the trade name of Alliant Energy Corporation and its principal utility subsidiaries Interstate Power and Light Co. and Wisconsin Power and Light Co. Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and over 400,000 natural gas customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electric and natural gas service is the company’s primary focus. Interstate Power and Light, the company’s Iowa utility subsidiary, serves 538,000 electric and 239,000 natural gas customers. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.alliantenergy.com.
FCStone Carbon, LLC, was founded in February 2006, as a wholly owned subsidiary of FCStone Group, Inc., an integrated commodity risk management company providing risk management consulting and transaction execution services to commercial commodity intermediaries, end users and producers. For more information, visit www.fcstone.com or call 1-515-223-3771.
Harris Companies is a leading mechanical contractor based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1948, Harris Companies is a leader in finding innovative and energy efficient solutions for its customers. For more information please visit the company’s Web site at www.hmcc.com
