Innovative Energy Efficiency Solution in Ethanol Production
A small European ethanol producer, Etanol Lab, collaborated with Alfa Laval to implement an innovative modification at their new plant in Serbia. The modification involved integrating the beer column with a rectification column using Alfa Laval’s plate heat exchanger technology as a beer column reboiler. The initial design faced concerns about fouling, but through a series of industrial-scale tests and design adjustments, a low-fouling solution was developed.
A small European ethanol producer, Etanol Lab, collaborated with Alfa Laval to implement an innovative modification at their new plant in Serbia. The modification involved integrating the beer column with a rectification column using Alfa Laval’s plate heat exchanger technology as a beer column reboiler. The initial design faced concerns about fouling, but through a series of industrial-scale tests and design adjustments, a low-fouling solution was developed. This solution not only reduced the energy-input requirement by as much as 30%, but also extended cleaning intervals, providing a significant advantage for Etanol Lab. The successful collaboration demonstrates Alfa Laval’s expertise in developing customized solutions based on the specific needs of ethanol producers.
