Selected showcase projects in Europe

Renowned starch manufacturer Lantmännen Reppe is one of the largest Swedish alcohol distillers too. The new unit in Lidköping can produce some 50,000 liters of high quality alcohol that add to the company's beverage alcohol supply. The alcohol production is based on wheat starch.

Almagest contracted VOGELBUSCH to supply the technology for a beverage alcohol plant in Verinsko (Ihtiman district) close to Sofia. The plant is designed to process 60,000 liter of extra neutral alcohol per day from grains. Start-up took place in summer 2009.

“We opted for Vogelbusch because we are aiming to produce top quality potable alcohol. It is also important to us to build the plant as quickly as possible.” - Almagest AG

Inbicon, a subsidiary of DONG Energy, has developed a proprietary process for the conversion of wheat straw. Complementing this biomass conversion process Inbicon has opted for sound and energy efficient technology from VOGELBUSCH for part of ethanol fermentation as well as the distillation and dehydration process.

The 17,000 liter per day demonstration plant served as a showcase project for second generation bioethanol production at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen in December 2009.

"We are very satisfied with the work performed by Vogelbusch." - Inbicon A/S

Lantmännen Agroetanol assigned VOGELBUSCH with the basic engineering of the distillation and dehydration for their new bioethanol plant in Norrköping. 
Agroetanol opted for Vogelbusch’s MULTIPRESSURE© distillation/rectification and dehydration system because it is the most energy efficient process on the market. It minimises the use of fossil fuel and therefore reduces CO2 emissions. The facility processes wheat for the most part, as well as rye and barley, with an output of 470,000 litres of bioethanol per day.

Mendes Gonçalves, a well known Portuguese vinegar producer ordered a vinegar fermenter from Vogelbusch. The new fermenter raised production capacity in Golegã, north of Lisbon by 15,000 litres to some 27,000 litres per day (lpd). We supplied the fermenter and process equipment such as pumps, control valves, instrumentation and MCC, and the process control system. The preparations for the installation work were performed by the client using specifications for equipment, foundations and construction, and pipework layouts provided by Vogelbusch. The new fermenter was integrated with the existing plant and commissioned in June 2008. Since then nominal output has been running at about 20% above nameplate capacity, and the customer is fully satisfied with the performance of the equipment.

Euro Ethyl’s molecular sieve system was supplied preassembled by Vogelbusch USA and a performance test was successfully completed in November 2006. The plant has a rated capacity of 120,000 litres of dehydrated alcohol per day. The integration of the molecular sieve with the existing plant required additional distillation equipment to increase capacity, and Vogelbusch USA assisted Euro Ethyl with the procurement and installation of used equipment from US sources.

The 800,000 litre/day plant is the largest bioethanol facility in Europe. It is designed for multiple grain sources together with by-products of beet sugar processing, and is highly advanced in terms of energy saving and environmental protection. Vogelbusch contributed process design for the raw material processing, continuous fermentation, distillation and molecular sieve dehydration stages, as well as DDGS drying.

"The plant, which was commissioned in the spring of 2005, is outstanding thanks to its efficient continuous fermentation method coupled with an integrated, optimized energy concept."
Press Release of Südzucker AG, 1.09.2006

The plant in Leopoldov produces extra neutral alcohol for beverage alcohol. In the destillation and rectification unit provided by Vogelbusch 30,000 liters of alcohol per day are distilled from alcoholic mashes from molasses and grain.