Contact: Joshua Morby 414.791.9120
MILWAUKEE – Wisconsin’s ethanol producers continue to lead the industry in biofuels innovation, resulting in greater efficiencies and decreased energy costs while keeping the impact on the environment in mind.
“Expanding the use of cleaner, renewable power helps grow our local economies and protect our environment,” said Joshua Morby, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance (WBIA). “Wisconsin is fortunate in that our nine biofuel producers are at the leading edge of such innovation, setting the bar high for the industry to follow.”
Recent innovations around the state include the installation of new heat exchange equipment at Stanley, Wis.-based Ace Ethanol LLC, Wisconsin’s first large-scale ethanol plant. The heat exchange equipment helps Ace Ethanol utilize waste heat from the plant’s regenerative thermal oxidizer, which processes heat and steam. Once installation is complete, the heat exchange equipment will reduce the amount of natural gas per each gallon of ethanol produced.
Didion Ethanol LLC of Courtland, Wis., is continuing on a yearlong, $11-million project to reduce total energy use by 25 percent while increasing ethanol output by five percent from the same amount of corn. This project is currently underway and is one of the largest in the state.
Another Wisconsin producer, United Ethanol, is installing an anaerobic digester to create methane, which will replace a portion of the natural gas needed for ethanol production. The digester’s output ultimately will reduce the plant’s natural gas consumption by as much as 25 percent. The $6.75-million project is estimated to have a four-year payback. In addition, the plant recently added a new corn-oil technology that also increases efficiency and reduces overall energy use.
Ace Ethanol and Didion Milling of Johnson Creek, Wis., the parent company of Didion Ethanol LLC, are founding members of the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance.
The Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance is a diverse group of businesses, environmental groups and statewide and local organizations that have come together to build both public and legislative awareness of the Bio Industry in Wisconsin.
For more information about the Alliance, or to find out how to join, please visit our website: http://www.wisconsinbioindustry.com.
