Profile: MiniDest – The small-sized corn ethanol plants of Porta
A new addition to
the list of references of small-scale biorefineries. Today I
introduce a concept that is revitalizing the rural zones in Argentina: the
MiniDest. Porta carries the distillery to the farm to integrate the production
in the origin minimizing logistic and energy costs.
The company
Porta Hnos. SA, a company settled in Córdoba (Argentina), has a
well-known industrial trajectory of more than 130 years in the production of
liquor, alcohol and vinegar. They have invested years devoted to the
development of engineering and technology for the processes of distillation and
fermentation. In this sense, its staff have achieved important goals for the
own company and third parties, in addition to the sign of collaboration
agreements with major biotechnology companies in Argentina and all over world.
The MiniDest concept
The MiniDest are small, modular, automatic and remotely operated
plants. These mini distilleries are installed in farms aimed to produce corn
ethanol and feed, generating added value. They allow to integrate the
agriculture and livestock farming with a sustainable industrial process,
promoting a business model based on the circular economy.
Figure 1. Planta MiniDest (extraído de la
página web de la empresa)
As they are
located at the farms, the logistics and shipping costs (transportation of corn
and feed) and the energy costs (liquid animal food is produced and livestock are
directly fed with it avoiding the evaporation process). Porta engineers
remotely operate the MiniDest providing continuous professional support and
ensuring the process efficiency and the optimization of the plant performance.
Characteristics
Feedstock and processing capacity
|
40 ton/day (13,500 ton/year) of corn, equivalent to 1,700 ha of corn per
year. This is the ideal size for a modular construction according to the
company studies.
A similar modular concept with larger dimensions is being developed for
Brazil, fields and production are bigger there.
The plant could use other feedstock but they only work with corn for the
time being.
|
Products and production capacity
|
- 15,000 l/day (5 Ml/year) of ethanol 95%.
- 40 ton/day of wet feed (27% dry matter) + 70,000 l/day of liquid feed
(4% dry matter, supplied to troughs).
|
Process units
|
Milling, cooking, fermentation, distillation and byproduct separation.
|
Working time
|
24 hours per day, 335 days per year.
|
Enzymes
|
DuPont.
|
Control system
|
ControlDest. It is a remote control system that operates a MiniDest from
the headquarters in Cordoba (Argentina). Also, the plant has a highly
automated software.
|
Water requirements
|
120 m3/day are used. A large part of this quantity is returned
to the feedlot through both the wet and liquid feed.
|
Recommended size for the feedlot
|
4,000 head of livestock. Approximately 2,500 head of livestock are
required to deplete the liquid feed.
|
Power consumption
|
150 kWh.
|
Boiler fuel
|
GLP, biogas or natural gas.
|
Space requirements
|
1,500 m2
of concrete surface.
|
Installation cost
|
Between 3.5 and 4 M$ turnkey (including civil works).
|
Staff
|
One person per shift.
|
Operating plants
Today, there are 4 operating MiniDest
in Argentina. They are running smoothly with conversions of 2.4 kg of corn per
litre. Currently, the monthly production is 460 m3 (5.600 m3
per year), exceeding initial expectations. The use of the subproducts in the
feedlots is working well.
Future plans
Porta intends to build between 10 and 20 MiniDest in Argentina during 2018. They
are also landing in Brazil where they envision a great potential.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to express my appreciation to José Antonio Porta (Head of New
Projects at Porta) for his kind collaboration.
