In the United States (US), advanced biofuels developer SAFFiRE Renewables LLC (SAFFiRE), part of Conestoga Energy, has selected Austria-headed international technology major Andritz AG (ANDRITZ) to supply key refining technology for its new pilot plant in Liberal, Kansas (KS), that will convert agricultural residues into cellulosic ethanol.
SAFFiRE Renewables develops ultra‑low‑carbon ethanol and intermediates using the Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining (DMR) pre-treatment technology.
The pilot plant will serve as a demonstration site for SAFFiRE’s innovative approach to producing ethanol from corn stover and other biomass feedstocks.
This cellulosic ethanol can be an ultra-low-carbon alternative in existing markets or be further upgraded to products like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), biomaterials, or biochemicals.
At SAFFiRE, we are committed to scaling technologies that can unlock sustainable, domestic feedstocks for next-generation fuels and materials. ANDRITZ’s refining technology is a key component of our pilot plant setup and supports our goals of utilizing domestic feedstocks to produce ethanol that can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by over 100 percent when compared to conventional gasoline or jet-fuel, said Marykate O’Brien, CTO at SAFFiRE
ANDRITZ will supply two refiners to mechanically pre-treat the biomass for conversion into ethanol.
The scope of supply, the value of which has not been disclosed, comprises a single-disc high-consistency refiner and a CompaDis CDI low-consistency refiner with a capacity of 10 t/d.
Start-up is planned for the first quarter of 2027.
Enabling the green transition through advanced technologies is core to ANDRITZ’s strategy. By supporting SAFFiRE in developing sustainable fuel production, we are helping accelerate the shift toward low-carbon transportation. Our refining solutions provide a reliable foundation for utilizing agricultural residues and scaling next-generation fuels, said Jacob Hyland, Director Sales & Application Fiber at ANDRITZ.
Headquartered in Liberal, Kansas, Conestoga Energy is a renewable energy company focused on producing low‑carbon biofuels and related bio‑alcohol solutions, and has over 15 years of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration (CCS) experience.
Operating two ethanol plants with a current annual output of over 175 million gallons (660 million liters) in southwest Kansas, Conestoga is active in both corn- and sorghum-based ethanol as well as cellulosic biofuel production – D6, D5, and D3 categories of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
