Almost all starch-containing plants can be used as feedstock for bioethanol production. Grains such as wheat, rye, corn, and triticale are particularly suitable due to their ease of storage in silos, efficient processing, and high yield.
Second Generation (2G) Bioethanol uses non-food raw materials as feedstock. This includes waste streams containing sugar or starch, brown liquor from pulp or paper production, and cellulose-derived sugars. Additional pre-treatment may be necessary depending on the raw material.
Molasses or thick juice from sugar production can be used as feedstock for bioethanol production. The sugar is immediately available, eliminating the need for pre-treatment such as milling, liquefaction, or saccharification.
Grain is milled using a hammer or roller mill to make starch accessible for further processing. The flour is then mixed with water (mashing) and enzymes are added to liquefy the starch into short-chain oligosaccharides at elevated temperatures. The resulting sweet mash is then cooled and fed to yeast propagation and fermentation.
Montz provides the optimized and energetically integrated process solution for this process.
During saccharification, enzymes convert oligosaccharides to sugar monomers like glucose. Yeast is required to convert these sugars to ethanol and CO2. Initially, small amounts of yeast are used and then propagated to provide the required amount for fermentation. Yeast can be recycled if the sweet mash contains only sugars, making the process more economical. The sugars are converted to ethanol and CO2, resulting in sour mash (beer) for distillation.
Montz provides the optimized and energetically integrated process solution for this process.
The CO2 produced during fermentation can be released into the atmosphere or processed and liquefied in a CO2 liquefaction plant for further use.
The liquid CO2 from the liquefaction plant can be used in food or industrial applications.
CO2 Capture: The CO2 generated during fermentation can be captured and utilized in various industrial applications, such as carbonation for beverages, dry ice production, or as a raw material for chemical synthesis.
A combined heat and power plant provides thermal and electrical energy for the bioethanol process. The energy source for the plant can be biomethane from renewable natural gas (RNG) or the grid. Alternatively, steam can be produced by a boiler, and electrical energy can be sourced from the grid.
Ethanol from the fermentation process is purified to azeotropic ethanol through a multi-stage distillation and rectification process. Impurities are removed, and molecular sieves separate water from the ethanol to produce water-free bioethanol. The remaining ethanol-free stillage is further processed.
Montz provides the optimized and energetically integrated process solution for this process.
The bioethanol produced meets established fuel ethanol norms and specifications such as ASTM D4806 and EN 15376, ensuring high-quality fuel suitable for blending with gasoline to reduce emissions and improve engine performance.
Enhancing energy efficiency in modern bioethanol plants involves integrated processes, such as recycling waste heat from distillation to reduce overall energy consumption and incorporating renewable energy sources like biomass and biogas. Additionally, second-generation bioethanol (2G) transforms agricultural residues and non-food crops into valuable fuel, addressing waste management and renewable energy production challenges.
Montz provides the optimized and energetically integrated process solution for producing bioethanol.
If grain is used as feedstock, the stillage is separated into wet cake (solid phase) and thin stillage (liquid phase). Thin stillage can be recycled, and the remaining stillage is concentrated to syrup through energy-efficient evaporation (e. g. multi-stage thermal evaporation and/or mechanical vapor recompression). The wet cake and syrup are dried to produce DDGS (Dried Distillers Grains and Solids). Condensates from evaporation and drying are recycled to minimize water consumption.
Montz provides the optimized and energetically integrated process solution for this process.
Stillage, syrup, and wet cake can be processed in a renewable natural gas plant. Organic components are converted to biogas, which can be used to run a gas motor or turbine or purified to methane and fed into the gas grid. Residues from biogas production can be used as fertilizer.
If particle-free feedstock is used, stillage is fed directly to evaporation. It is concentrated to syrup through energy-efficient evaporation (e. g. multi-stage thermal evaporation and/or mechanical vapor recompression). Condensates from evaporation are recycled to the process to minimize water consumption.
Montz provides the optimized and energetically integrated process solution for this process.
Dried Distillers Grains and Solids (DDGS), a by-product of bioethanol production, is a highly nutritious animal feed, offering an additional revenue stream for producers.
Biogas or methane can power a gas motor or turbine, supply a combined heat and power plant, or be purified to methane and fed into the gas grid as renewable natural gas.
Residues from biogas production can be utilized as fertilizer for agricultural purposes.
Depending on the feedstock, residues like vinasses from molasses or thick juice can be used as animal feed additives or as fertilizer for agricultural purposes.
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