Whitefox Technologies has completed the installation of its ICE Plus membrane dehydration system at Redfield Energy LLC, marking the first use of this technology in the United States. The new system allows Redfield Energy to increase ethanol output while reducing the use of water and energy, supporting the company’s efforts to cut carbon emissions, reports Ethanol Producer Magazine.
Redfield Energy said the installation has improved plant performance by expanding production capacity and improving overall efficiency, which is expected to strengthen the company’s financial performance. The company also said the technology supports its long-term plan to lower energy use and operate more sustainably.
The ICE Plus system has been integrated with Redfield Energy’s existing dehydration equipment. According to Whitefox, the upgrade has added around 7.5 million gallons per year to production capacity, reduced steam and cooling water use, and lowered the load on the plant’s molecular sieve systems by about 60%.
By easing pressure on dehydration, distillation and evaporation operations, the system has improved overall plant efficiency and profitability. The company said the project is part of a broader strategy to improve operations as ethanol producers look for ways to operate more efficiently and sustainably.
Whitefox Technologies said the ICE Plus system was developed to help ethanol producers reduce energy use while working alongside existing equipment. The company added that the system helps extend the life of current infrastructure while improving efficiency and lowering emissions.
ICE Plus is a membrane-based dehydration system designed to improve distillation and evaporation processes while shifting part of dehydration work away from molecular sieves. Whitefox said the system can cut natural gas use by up to 30% in a conventional ethanol plant and increase production capacity by 25% to 50%. The platform can also be expanded to a larger system that fully replaces molecular sieves and can reduce natural gas consumption by up to 50%.
