Aemetis will implement Mitsubishi ZEBREX system at its ethanol plant in Keyes

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

Aemetis will implement the ZEBREXTM dehydration system developed by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) at its ethanol plant in Keyes (California). ZEBREXTM is a cutting-edge zeolite membrane dehydration process that has been installed in approximately 70 alcohol production plants worldwide. According to the press release, the change from the traditional Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) dehydration process to the ZEBREXTM technology can reduce energy consumption in the production of biofuels by up to 25%, increasing production capacity while reducing the usage of fossil fuel-based energy and lowering the carbon intensity of ethanol produced at the plant.

Figure 1. Comparison between PSA and ZEBREXTM dehydration processes (extracted from MCC website)

The Aemetis plant upgrade is the first ZEBREXTM system installation in North America and is the largest implementation worldwide. The unit will be designed and fabricated for Aemetis by ICM. It will allow Aemetis to use significantly less natural gas, reduce carbon emissions by approximately 16,000 tons per year and increase ethanol production, achieving a lower carbon intensity biofuel.

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