Leaders in the production and marketing of bioethanol

The core speciality of the CropEnergies Group is the large-scale processing of agricultural raw materials into high quality products and the marketing of these products. We have an extensive knowledge of the complete added-value chain in bioethanol manufacture - from planting the crop through production right to transport and providing consultancy services for users, including optimisation of production processes or research into potential future applications.

As a member of the Südzucker Group, we have many years of experience in the refinement of raw materials containing sugar and starch, as well as comprehensive know-how in agricultural subjects. This all means that we are an attractive partner for our raw material suppliers, which is an advantage in procurement of the necessary raw materials. 

Our know-how in agricultural subjects is also of benefit to us in processing and marketing the by-products arising from the manufacture of bioethanol. The stillage which is the residue from bioethanol production is dried and pelleted to improve its keeping qualities and to simplify its transport and dosing. The resultant protein-rich feedstuff is marketed by CropEnergies as a high-quality protein feed under the ProtiGrain® brand. Vinasse is produced as a by-product when sugar syrup is processed in a plant such as that currently under construction at Zeitz, and this is used as a valuable animal nutrient or high-quality fertiliser in the agricultural field.

Constructing, putting into service and operating production facilities all demands extensive experience and process know-how. We already have this, since the Südzucker Group put a pilot plant into operation for the production of bioethanol as long ago as 1983. We have a wealth of experience to build on which has been gained over a long time, and which has continuously been developed.

Continuous production of bioethanol 365 days a year demands a high level of efficiency. We benefit from a high level of professional competence in the chemical and processing areas with which we are able to optimise and develop both product and production process all the time. 

In Europe, the CropEnergies Group is a trailblazer in the sector of bioethanol production for fuel. We set standards in the fields of technology and innovative power. We set a milestone in Europe with the bioethanol plant in Zeitz, Saxony-Anhalt, which has been in production since 2005. With an annual production capacity of 260,000 m³, it is the largest bioethanol plant in Europe and is currently being enlarged in two stages to a capacity of 360,000 m³ per year. With our production facility in Wanze, Belgium, which will have an annual capacity of up to 300,000 m³, we will be doing full justice to the subject of sustainability of biofuels with our innovative plant concept.

Our plants in Zeitz and Wanze are in such a way designed that they can be run on various raw materials. In Zeitz for example, we can process the cereals wheat, barley, triticale, and maize as well as syrup from sugar beet. The mixture of raw materials can be decided on flexibly, according to the developments and conditions in the raw material markets.

A further characteristic of our production facilities is that the thermal and electrical energy required for the production process is produced at low cost in our own modern energy centre with combined power and heating generation. A further factor is the exemplary energy-efficiency of our production processes, above all due to the fact that energy is used and re-used in various stages of the process.

CropEnergies is active in several European markets which have committed themselves to the use of bioethanol. One of our major assets is the ability to adapt ourselves to specific requirements of different countries. Here we benefit from our substantiated knowledge of national and international sales markets for bioethanol and other energy products.

Logistical requirements are child's play to us too: using the correct blend of transport means at our locations, we can fulfil our customers' needs in an ideal manner throughout Europe - no matter whether they want their deliveries by train, ship or road.

A further advantage is our size, which benefits us not only in the raw material markets, but also in the sales markets.

Nevertheless, our greatest advantage is that our customers in the mineral oil and petrochemical industries recognise us as a partner on whom they can rely. 

To be able to maintain its leading position in the market in the future, the CropEnergies Group concentrates not only on the optimisation of existing production processes, but also, in its research and development, on the development of technical concepts for new bioethanol plants. In addition, we are continually looking for new starting points for alternative applications for bioethanol, to establish new and profitable markets.

To this end, CropEnergies AG is working for example together with the research and development sector in Südzucker AG and a number of the Institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to develop the use of bioethanol in fuel-cells for electricity supply. 
Fuel-cells are the technology of the future for power supplies to electrical appliances. Forecasts indicate that there will be high rates of growth in the fuel-cell market in the years to come. Bioethanol is an outstanding fuel for use in fuel-cells and could help use them in their breakthrough into mass markets.