In the United States (US), technology provider Fluid Quip Process Technologies LLC (FQPT) has announced that it will provide detailed engineering for a proposed second Maximized Stillage Co-products (MSC) system for refining, chemicals and biofuels producer Flint Hills Resources LLC. The announcement comes as construction nears completion on an MSC system at the Flint Hills Resources Fairmont, Nebraska (NE), ethanol plant.
to install a new technology from Fluid Quip Process Technologies (FQPT) that will produce a high
protein animal and fish feed ingredient from a portion of the plant’s distiller grains, a co-product of
ethanol production (photo courtesy FQPT).
The MSC system produces high-value protein animal feed from a portion of the distillers’ grains produced during the ethanol-making process. The completion of the Fairmont Flint Hills Resources project marks the fourth FQPT MSC system operating worldwide.
Flint Hills Resources has been a great partner throughout the design and construction of the Fairmont MSC system, and we are excited they are looking at the technology for additional facilities. The Flint Hills Resources Ingredients group has done a great job of exploring and developing the market for the MSC protein product, which they brand as NexPro protein ingredient. The interest in a second MSC installation demonstrates the positive outlook their group is seeing for the worldwide demand for the product, said Michael Franko, Vice President of Business Development for FQPT.
Flint Hills Resources has already begun marketing NexPro to the aquaculture, pet food, swine and poultry industries as a high quality and cost-effective protein feed ingredient alternative.
Demand for protein in the world is growing. NexPro is a combination of corn protein and spent yeast. The combination contains about 50 percent protein and contains elevated levels of amino acids such as lysine, which is essential for growth animals. With its excellent protein content and improved amino acid profile, NexPro is a great alternative to traditional feed ingredients like soybean meal and corn gluten meal, said Mark Murphy, General Manager of Ingredients Marketing at Flint Hills Resources.
FQPT developed the patented MSC technology as an innovative solution for dry mill ethanol plants to enhance their co-product streams. The MSC bolt-on technology produces a 50 percent purity protein product that trades in the alternative high-value protein market and is a unique blend of spent brewer’s yeast and corn gluten meal.
The protein has shown great success in the pet food, aqua, dairy, poultry, and swine feed markets. The MSC system allows ethanol facilities to diversify their product offerings and take advantage of a reliable manufactured revenue stream to balance income from the ethanol process, which is currently at risk of legislative change.
The ethanol industry is highly competitive, and producers are looking for innovative ways to squeeze more value out of every kernel of corn than ever before. MSC technology provides an innovative pathway for dry mill ethanol plants to upgrade DDGS streams to produce a higher valued product. We believe protein will continue to be a major value driver in our industry, and we are exploring options for growing our high protein production capabilities beyond the Fairmont plant said Todd Svihovec, Ventures and Capital Projects Director at Flint Hills Resources.
