- Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy to begin using Enogen corn enzyme technology following the 2015 corn harvest
- Major reduction in corn mash viscosity from using Enogen will lead to increased throughput and yield, as well as reduced energy usage
- Agreement will enable local growers to serve as enzyme suppliers
Syngenta announced today that it has signed a commercial agreement with Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) to begin using Enogen® corn enzyme technology at its Council Bluffs, Iowa, ethanol production facility following the 2015 harvest. SIRE is the third Iowa plant to sign such an agreement.
According to David Witherspoon, head of Enogen for Syngenta, the robust alpha amylase enzyme found in Enogen grain helps an ethanol plant dramatically reduce the viscosity of its corn mash, and reduce – or may eliminate – the need to add a liquid form of the enzyme.
“This breakthrough viscosity reduction can lead to unprecedented levels of solids loading, which directly contributes to increased throughput and yield, as well as critical cost savings from reduced natural gas, energy, water and chemical usage,” Witherspoon said. “Farmers who grow Enogen corn benefit as well – they earn an average premium of 40 cents per bushel.
“The agreement with SIRE will enable SIRE to source alpha amylase directly from local growers and keep enzyme dollars in the local community,” Witherspoon added. “This is what truly sets Enogen corn apart from other technologies designed to enhance ethanol production. It adds significant incremental value at the local level for communities that rely on their ethanol plant’s success.”
SIRE is a state of the art dry-mill grain processing facility that annually produces more than 125 million gallons of ethanol and consumes more than 40 million bushels of corn. SIRE sources grain from a large portion of southwest Iowa and several counties in southeast Nebraska.
According to SIRE General Manager and CEO Brian Cahill, the opportunity to invest locally is a key benefit of using Enogen grain.
Click here to see more...