A new scientific discovery could enable the biofuels and animal feed industries to work together in future.
Iowa State University engineering professor Hans van Leeuwen has pioneered a process that uses the growth of a fungus to make high-protein animal feed during ethanol production, according to The Engineer.
Rhizopus oligosporus fungus turns the leftovers, or stillage, from ethanol production into a hard organic mass that can be blended with distillers' grains to make a very effective animal feed.
In addition, the fungus also cleans the water that is produced in the stillage, allowing it to be reused in the process.
Van Leeuwen also believes that biofuels manufacturers can save millions of pounds each year on energy costs with this method.
Greenenergy recently revealed it has invested £50 million in new technology to support a method that coverts unsold food waste, such as left over crisps, pies and complex cooking oils, into biofuels.
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the biofuels industry includes:
Conveyors – screw conveyors – chain conveyors – belt conveyors
