Groundbreaking Whitefox ICE® XL Solution Achieves 50% Steam Savings for Western Plains Energy

Western Plains Energy has upgraded their Bioethanol Production Facility with a fully integrated Whitefox® membrane solution in a quest to become a net-zero emissions producer

OAKLEY, Kan., Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Whitefox Technologies is pleased to announce the successful installation of the Whitefox ICE® XL membrane dehydration system at Western Plains Energy LLC ethanol plant in Oakley, Kansas.

Whitefox is at the forefront of advanced dehydration technology, and this is the first installation in the USA of the new ICE® XL membrane solution. 

The solution enables Western Plains to achieve:

• 50% reduction in natural gas and steam;
• 25% increase in production capacity;
• Reduction in operational costs.

Together, this significantly advances Western Plains towards Net Zero by reducing their carbon intensity score by  more than a 10% reduction.

Derek Peine, [CEO, Western Plains Energy] commented, "The Whitefox ICE® XL system is a fully integrated solution within our distillation, dehydration and evaporation (DD&E) unit operations. It fully replaces the molecular sieves, with a proprietary membrane system, providing continuous processing and reduced energy and water consumption. It is designed to allow us to reduce our steam usage by up to 50%, which is a big step towards our net zero carbon goal."

Gillian Harrison, Whitefox's CEO commented: "The project has embodied the true spirit of collaboration. Western Plains had the vision to be a Net Zero producer in 2019, and together with our engineers, have created ultra-low energy ethanol. This project has been an international endeavour to drive down emissions in renewable fuels and support advancements in rural communities with funding from the USDA and Innovate UK.

I'm proud of what we have achieved and believe it's a ground-breaking step towards renewable ethanol becoming an essential low-carbon building block for sustainable aviation fuel, green chemicals and beyond.

This project is the first ICE XL project in the US, but Whitefox's 18^th project, with a further 6 in construction.  As we continue to expand, this installation represents a milestone in sustainable innovation in ethanol production.

Western Plains and Whitefox are proving that Net Zero are not just words but a commercial and environmental reality."

ABOUT WESTERN PLAINS ENERGY
Western Plains Energy, LLC. is renewable energy production company in Oakley, Kansas. The company converts regionally grown grain into sustainable, low-carbon products in the form of denatured ethanol and wet distillers' grains. Western Plains Energy is committed to meeting the growing demand for domestically produced, sustainable renewable energy. http://wpellc.com/

ABOUT WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES
Whitefox specializes in technology development and innovation based on its proprietary membrane solutions. Whitefox's solutions use membrane-based cartridge technology which enables clients to produce ethanol and other chemicals to the highest market standards in the most energy and water efficient way. With a small carbon footprint, Whitefox provides solutions for all types of organic solvents, biofuels, and renewable chemicals in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South America. www.whitefox.com

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SOURCE Whitefox Technologies