Aemetis resumes operations at 65 MMgy California ethanol plant
Aemetis operaets an ethanol plant in Keyes, California. / Photo: Aemetis
May 26, 2023
BY Aemetis Inc.
Aemetis Inc., a renewable natural gas and renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products, announced today the re-start of production at the 65 million gallon per year capacity Keyes, California ethanol plant after completing the most extensive maintenance and system upgrades in the 12 years of facility operations.
“The Keyes plant has a history of high uptime and consistent production, with only one scheduled maintenance day annually for nearly a decade. When natural gas prices reached historic highs several months ago, we made the strategic decision to idle operations and undertake an extensive cleanout, repair, and system upgrade cycle to install important technology upgrades,” said Eric McAfee, chairman and CEO of Aemetis Inc. “The significant investments made at the plant include an entirely new Allen Bradley Decision Control System (DCS) with more than 1,100 sensor connections installed across the facility to enhance the automation of operations and enable Artificial Intelligence (AI) management of energy use. The DCS system and other future mechanical upgrades will directly reduce the carbon intensity of biofuels produced by the Keyes plant, while reducing carbon pollution and improving local air quality in the Central Valley.
“The system upgrades also support the operation of the Aemetis Biogas network, including the 40-mile biogas pipeline; seven operating digesters; the central RNG production facility and PG&E gas utility interconnection located at the Keyes plant,” stated Andy Foster, president of Aemetis Biogas LLC. “These upgrades will seamlessly integrate operation of the 30 additional dairy biogas digesters in Stanislaus and Merced Counties that are under construction or in development and will be connected to our pipeline for processing of biogas into RNG injected into the utility gas pipeline for use as transportation fuel.”
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Energy efficiency, zero carbon solar energy, electric ethanol dehydration, and DCS system upgrades to the Aemetis Keyes biofuels plant are supported by $16.7 million of grants awarded to Aemetis by the California Energy Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric.
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