The prospects for profitable cellulosic ethanol just got a little brighter with the completion of two successful 1,000-hour performance runs for ICM’s patent-pending Generation 2.0 Co-Located Cellulose Ethanol process. ICM performed the runs at its pilot plant in St. Joseph, Mo.
The tests prove out the co-located technology design that allows cellulosic biomass feedstocks including agricultural crop residues and forestry residues to be converted to cellulosic ethanol and co-products, including high-protein animal feed and boiler fuel that can be burned with coal to generate electricity.
“It is the generation of co-products that makes ICM’s technology unique and sets it apart from competitive industry efforts,” said ICM Principal Scientist and Cellulose Team Leader Jeremy Javers. “Our process enables the recovery of yeast protein that makes a valuable animal feed. The leftover lignin product also has value as a boiler fuel. We had an independent testing company verify that it can be burned with coal in power plants with no loss of efficiency.”