Hatching Higher Protein

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Technologies for feed coproducts are evolving, pumping out high-protein ingredient alternatives. Experts assure the market is ripe. -- The pile of distillers grains at nearly a dozen plants is about to get smaller. Production of Fluid Quip Process Technologies LLC’s high-protein feed ingredient is expected to double this fall. The new feeds from ICM Inc.’s Fiber Separation Technology are being rolled out by first adopters after being introduced at last year’s International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo. And the final engineering package for Harvesting Technology LLC’s CoProMax commercial system is due out this spring.

Each is taking a slightly different approach to producing high-protein feed, although all are taking what once was one pile of distillers grains and creating two piles—one of the new high-protein ingredient, the other of what’s left, with characteristics that will vary by process. Other benefits include increased corn oil yields and a boost to throughput, partly because of cleaner backset.

Protein Potential
The first question often asked is just how much of a market will there be for these new high-protein coproducts? The concern is the market will be quickly oversupplied once the first plants are up and running, and the promised premium price will disappear. Neal Jakel, vice president of strategy and technology for FQPT, hears that a lot, but he cites reports that the global protein industry is 3 million metric tons short annually. “And that continues to grow,” he says. “Even if we converted every ethanol plant in the U.S., we wouldn’t have enough of this protein to fill demand.”

Developing a new feed product is a lengthy and expensive process, Jakel says. If the feed doesn’t have an official ingredient definition—which he says the new high-protein coproduct has under the existing grain distillers dried yeast definition—there’s a minimum 18-month process to get approval. Then, there needs to be sufficient supplies of commercially produced product for feeding studies on the targeted species. To date, the protein product from FQPT’s Maximized Stillage Coproduct process has been used in more than 20 feeding studies in species including shrimp, tilapia, trout, salmon, dogs, cats, dairy cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys.

FQPT’s MSC is a back-end process that moves about a quarter of the distillers grains pile into the high-protein channel, Jakel explains.

FST Feeds
ICM’s new feed product begins with its front-end Fiber Separation Technology that washes out fiber before fermentation, boosting throughput about 10 percent. After fermentation, the remaining nonfermentable solids become enriched distillers grains, says Ryan Mass, ICM feed business manager. “Our minimum specification for FST Next Gen HiPro is 38 percent crude protein, as is. With that, we have concentrated digestible amino acids, resulting in more lysine, methionine and threonine in HiPro. Enriching for those things is part of capturing the linear value of the protein.” The higher protein and improved digestible amino acid profile is targeted at monogastric animals such as pigs, chickens and aquaculture, where high fiber levels have limited DDGS feeding.

The trademarked FST Next Gen fiber ultimately can become feedstock for cellulosic ethanol technology, which will be first demonstrated at commercial scale at The Andersons and ICM’s plant, Element LLC. Construction of the 70 MMgy corn ethanol plant started this spring next to company headquarters in Colwich, Kansas. Element will demonstrate multiple ICM technologies, including its Gen 1.5 corn fiber-to-cellulosic ethanol technology.

In the meantime, the seven plants that have installed FST are beginning to market the fiber-plus-syrup feed product introduced by ICM at last summer’s FEW, along with the FST HiPro Next Gen.

CoProMax
Harvesting Technology is taking a third approach to producing differentiated coproducts. Its CoProMax process separates proteins and fats from whole stillage after fermentation. A patented low-energy physical separation process eliminates the need for decanters, explains company co-founder George Bolton. “The liquids recovered from that separation are treated with a polymer and go into a DAF—a dissolved air flotation system—that aggregates the fats and proteins.” The material is heated and run through a tricanter to separate the protein and oil. “The solids produced are both yeast cells and small particles from the whole stillage, where most of the proteins are concentrated.”

About a third of the original distillers grains pile is separated as high-protein meal, Bolton says, with protein percentages in the high 40s.

CK Fiber, contains up to 80 percent corn kernel fiber, which, with high levels of nondetergent fiber and low oil, will make a good cattle or dairy feed, Bolton says, or be used as a cellulosic ethanol feedstock. READ MORE