Zero Discharge Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Process Development

AdvanceBio has announced the development of its next generation, sugar-based fuel ethanol process. The process is capable of utilizing sugars derived from sugar cane, sweet sorghum, sugar beet and other similar crops as feedstock for the production of fuel ethanol and green power while generating zero liquid waste.

When built in conjunction with the sugar milling operation, plants employing AdvanceBio's sugar-based ethanol process will have the same, low-greenhouse gas footprint found in Brazil's existing cane-based fuel ethanol industry.

"The facilities will be extremely self-sufficient. In addition to eliminating costs associated with outside sources of fossil fuels, power and process water, our technology eliminates the need for extensive waste treatment processes and the cost of transporting large volumes of liquid vinasse back to the cane fields. These ethanol production facilities will also meet stringent U.S. pollution and occupational safety regulations," said Dale Monceaux, Principal.

AdvanceBio envisions that producing fuel ethanol by processing cane and sweet sorghum feedstocks will serve to supplement corn as the country transitions to cellulosic ethanol and beyond. Currently, U.S. legislation establishes a Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requiring the production of 36 billion gpy of renewable fuels by 2022. Of this total, 15 billion gpy is designated as a cellulosic ethanol requirement.

"Sugar-based ethanol process technology is capable of supplying environmentally friendly gallons to meet our country's near term transportation fuel needs and bridge the gap to cellulosic ethanol commercial scale production. In addition, the biomass rich stalk residue called bagasse, that is produced and used to generate steam and power, will be available onsite as a biomass feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production. Furthermore, these projects decentralize ethanol production capacity, moving new volumes from the Corn Belt to southern regions of the United States, near large population centers and markets."

Years of process design and in-plant operations experience led to the AdvanceBio development. The fermentation system is more than twice as productive as today's starch-based processes and doesn't require enzymes or major nutrient additions.

"Our engineers and technologists employed rigorous process simulation modeling to optimize the ethanol plant design and develop overall plant efficiency, energy and water requirements and emissions criteria, integrating these closely with the sugar milling processes," Monceaux added.

The improving global economy is expected to increase the demand and price of crude oil and spur the next wave of renewable fuel investment. We are working with groups currently developing cane and sweet sorghum-based projects in the United States.

Considerable time and financial resources have been invested in developing not only the process technology but also the agricultural practices and systems that supply feedstock to these processing facilities.