MINNETONKA, Minn., USA, – The combination of
Cellerate™ process technology and
Enogen® corn helped
Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP) increase ethanol production by 20 percent in a recently completed 18-day trial1. To date, QCCP has produced over 3 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol via the Cellerate process.
According to QCCP CEO Delayne Johnson, this dramatic increase was achieved by realizing an additional 6 percent yield per bushel from converting corn kernel fiber into ethanol, plus a 14 percent throughput increase by combining Cellerate with Enogen. Developed at QCCP in Galva, Iowa, Cellerate is a collaboration between Syngenta and Cellulosic Ethanol Technologies (CET), LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of QCCP. In 2014, Syngenta announced an agreement with CET to be the exclusive marketer of the Cellerate process technology to ethanol plants in North America.
“Without changes to the conventional starch ethanol process, Cellerate offers advantages to ethanol plants including pre-treatment in the fiber that allows whole stillage processing without the requirement to separate all the fiber and starch,” Johnson said. “Pre-treatment breaks down fiber, allowing mild whole stillage fiber treatment with pH low enough to prevent starch degradation. This reduces the time, chemicals and energy required. It also allows a plant to load significantly more solids and capture residual starch, sugars and cellulosic component in a second fermentation process.
“With Cellerate, the biofuels industry now has the technology available to create 2 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol – all from the same kernel of corn.”
CET and Syngenta successfully secured an approved D3 pathway for Cellerate. Now, they are working to submit a pathway for the cellulosic ethanol produced at QCCP with the California Air Resources Board. The Cellerate process has the potential for a notable reduction in QCCP’s carbon intensity score – which in turn is expected to provide QCCP the ability to earn a significant premium for each cellulosic gallon marketed in California.
QCCP was also honored with the Renewable Fuels Association 2015 Industry Award at the 20th Annual National Ethanol Conference in recognition of its achievements in advancing the use of cellulosic ethanol technology. In addition to the potential for increased production, Cellerate offers ethanol producers many other benefits.
“Cellerate can help ethanol producers improve the protein content of dried distillers grains to as much as 40 percent (DM) and boost total yield of distillers corn oil up to a potential 1.6 pounds per bushel (QCCP is currently achieving 1.1 pounds per bushel),” said Jack Bernens, head of Enogen at Syngenta. “We believe that not only will Cellerate process technology help make advanced and cellulosic ethanol a reality, but the combination of Cellerate and Enogen could represent the next step forward for ethanol production.”
For Cellerate technical inquiries, or a tour of the Cellerate process at QCCP, please contact Tim Tierney with Syngenta at 612-801-9775 or Travis Brotherson with QCCP at 712-282-4628. For more information about Enogen corn enzyme technology, visit
www.Enogen.net.
For more information on Cellerate process technology, click
here.
1Based on third-party verification procedures performed by Christianson & Associates PLLP, a firm of certified public accountants and consultants.
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Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit
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