Living in eastern North Dakota, I’ve always assumed there are certain preparations ethanol producers take in the fall to be ready for winter’s worst weather. I’ve also surmised that cold weather can benefit an ethanol plant, so long as the facility is seasonally prepped, well maintained and able to dodge unplanned downtime due to factors they can’t control, like power outages.Both assumptions are correct, but I had no idea just how much winter weather can impact production until I read this month’s cover story, “Cold and Snow Ready,” on page 14. The producers we talked to confirmed that, indeed, cold temperatures can benefit the production process by allowing a plant’s cooling tower to work more efficiently, promoting better heat exchange and more efficient fermentation. But the list of cold-weather production benefits is short compared to the potential operational drawbacks of winter: increased natural gas prices during cold snaps; logistics delays during snowstorms; energy outages or curtailments; the possibility of frozen pipes and myriad other issues that can slow or stop production.&nbsp;Fortunately, northern producers know how to prepare for winter, and they get through its most difficult stretches with disciplined preparedness, proactive communication and sound preventive maintenance. It’s not just the big things that matter, but the countless little things around the plant: identifying pipes and outdoor equipment that need to be winterized; having a plan of action for electrical failures; stocking up on necessary chemicals; being methodical about snow removal; keeping an eye on area power lines for ice buildup and communicating with utilities; and, of course, keeping plant personnel and visitors safe. Somehow, they get it all done.&nbsp;Speaking of northern ethanol producers getting it all done, we report this month on Harvestone Low Carbon Partners' successful startup of its carbon capture and storage (CCS) system at Blue Flint Ethanol LLC in Underwood, North Dakota. As told in our page-26 story, “Drilling Into the Future,” Harvestone (formerly Midwest AgEnergy Group) explored just about every available CO2 utilization option available to it over the past 16 years before landing on stand-alone CCS a few years ago. The project took years to study, plan and execute, but is now complete. Today, Blue Flint is sequestering, and Harvestone is actively looking at options for CCS at its two other ethanol plants. It is truly a model success story in carbon capture. &nbsp;Next, we pivot to the limitless world of biorefining in “Rise of the Bioforge,” on page 34. This is the story of Texas-based Solugen, which is co-locating a 500,000-square-foot biobased product manufacturing plant next to ADM’s corn wet mill in Marshall, Minnesota. The plan is to produce and jointly develop a variety of exceptional biobased chemicals from dextrose, a rather ordinary and abundant wet mill coproduct.&nbsp;Finally, be sure to read “Bioproducts Building,” on page 40, a timely story on the recent opening of the POET Bioproducts Center at South Dakota State University, which opened its doors in late 2023 to support innovation in bioprocessing, expand the bioeconomy, and prepare a new generation of bioproduct manufacturing professionals. It’s a beautiful, well-equipped R&amp;D hub that serves an important need in the emergent Upper Midwest bioproducts space.Enjoy the read.Author: Tom Bryan&nbsp; President and Editor&nbsp; BBI International

2024-01-03 - Changing, Innovating and Refusing to Chill  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)

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The February issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine addresses the impact of cold weather on ethanol plants, the startup of a CCS project at Blue Fint Ethanol, Solugen’s biobased products plant, and the POET Bioproducts Center. 

Changing, Innovating and Refusing to Chill

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