Biodynamics Inc., a newly formed Iowa-based coproduct enhancement developer, has reached an agreement with two Midwest ethanol operators to install the company’s protein production technology. The production units will process thin stillage using the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, resulting in a single-celled protein product (SCP) as a new coproduct.
Commonly used for industrial waste water treatment, the organism is easy to harvest and clean enough to be sent back into the slurry tank, according to Trevor Cassel, project director for Biodynamics. “The hard part is getting the organism to do what you want. That is what our process does,” Cassel said. Initially tested at a Beijing laboratory, the process will reduce a plant’s water usage by 75 percent, according to Cassel, because of the organism’s ability for acceptable re-use.
“We can improve both the environmental footprint and the economics of the plant,” Bruce Wicking, president of Biodynamics said. “We believe we can clean up the waste water flows from those companies in doing so.” The organism acts as a recycling tool, removing the organic solids from the thin stillage. “What you are left with is clean enough to be sent back into the slurry tank to be used again,” Cassel said. “The organism’s body remains as a nitrogen source, and the salt remains, reducing the need to adjust the pH levels in the water.”
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The Biodynamics unit eliminates the evaporation step and reduces dryer loads. Only 2.1 gallons of water and .05 million Btu of energy are needed to create 2.8 gallons of ethanol, according to the company. The unit will create 13.5 pounds of distillers grains per bushel of corn and 3.5 pounds of the SCP coming from the thin stillage treatment. The SCP is used as a meat substitute, replacing chicken for human consumption, but will be used as animal feed by Biodynamics. The process would also extract corn oil through a decanting process.
Recognizing the challenge of funding new technology, Cassel said the company will finance the technology upgrade. The entire infrastructure, according to Cassel, would be installed and operated by a Biodynamics specialist. The process units will be placed adjacent to the dry mill facilities testing the demonstrations units. “The real test is to put it at the plant level,” Cassel said, adding that the final commercial scale testing will be complete by the third quarter of 2010. “By 120 days it should be complete.”
