As an industry-leader in the development and optimization of ethanol technology, ICM Inc. continues to create advancements with its patent-pending Fiber Separation Technology now being operated at four major commercial plants in North America. FST is part of ICM’s U.S. EPA-approved pathway to cellulosic ethanol and is a value-added platform technology that removes fiber from the Generation 1.0 ethanol process. FST increases ethanol and corn oil throughput and creates options for diversified coproducts of high-protein livestock feed and high-energy livestock feed.

An important aspect of the FST process was developed through a joint partnership with Fournier Industries Inc., an equipment manufacturer headquartered in Quebec, Canada.  ICM began working with Fournier around their world class rotary press design in early 2013, leading to a proprietary design of a Fournier Rotary Press for the global biofuels industry.  The joint team incorporated improvements that lead to an increased throughput, a more dry cake, improved automated controls, and improved handling of the process stream temperatures required in this new application. The proprietary rotary press design provides significant advantages to the FST process through design optimizations as it uses approximately one-tenth the horsepower which reduces the carbon footprint.  It also requires less maintenance than other dewatering devices. 

Dave VanderGriend, founder and CEO of ICM, said, “This partnership has been a tremendous success. Fournier is a wonderful partner that we believe our joint work has led to a major proprietary advancement for use in the biofuels industry.”

Harold Roy, President and CEO of Fournier Industries, said, “ICM’s knowledge and vision of how the Rotary Press could be adapted and utilized in their process demonstrates why ICM is achieving the outstanding results they are, in increasing efficiency in the biofuel industry.” 

As North America’s leading biofuels process technology provider, ICM is focused on delivering innovative technologies, solutions, and services to sustain agriculture and advance renewable energy throughout the world.