Syngenta technology helps corn processors reach ethanol milestone

Syngenta announced today that Iowa-based Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP) has produced its one-millionth gallon of cellulosic ethanol using the company’s Cellerate process technology.

QCCP is now on track to product two million gallons of the ethanol this year. Cellerate helps ethanol plants increase production -- by as much as six percent -- by converting corn kernel fiber into cellulosic ethanol. Cellerate also enables ethanol producers boost the protein content of dried distillers' grains up to 40 percent and increase the total yield of distillers corn oil up to 1.6 pounds per bushel.

“With Cellerate process technology, we are able to extract more ethanol out of the same kernel of corn,” QCCP CEO Delayne Johnson said. “The combination of Cellerate and Enogen corn enzyme technology allowed us to produce advanced and cellulosic ethanol while decreasing natural gas usage, increasing ethanol throughput and reducing energy consumption. This technology package is very appealing for ethanol plants looking to improve their bottom line.”

As of 2014, Syngenta has forged an agreement with Cellulosic Ethanol Technologies, a subsidiary of QCCP; as a result, they are able to license Cellerate to ethanol plants.