Company

Strengths

Leader in the production and marketing of bioethanol

The core competences of the CropEnergies Group are the processing of agricultural raw materials into high-quality products on an industrial scale and their marketing. We have extensive know-how covering the entire value chain in bioethanol production -from crop-growing, through production, to transportation and providing consulting services for users, as well as in process optimization, research into potential future applications, quality assurance and the marketing of co-products.
Sustainable production of bioethanol
The CropEnergies bioethanol plants in Zeitz and Wanze have been certified as sustainable since October 2010. An independent expert confirmed, that the bioethanol CropEnergies produces there fulfills all sustainability criteria. This includes greenhouse gas savings of at least 35 percent compared to fossil fuels across the entire value chain. Both CropEnergies plants considerably exceed this quota.
Partner of choice for the agricultural sector
As a member of the Südzucker Group, we have extensive know-how in agricultural matters. This makes us an attractive partner for our raw material suppliers and animal feed customers. This knowledge is also of benefit to us in the processing and marketing of the food and animal feed products arising in the bioethanol production process. There are various co-products which are manufactured at our bioethanol plants in Germany and Belgium which we process for use in the food and animal feed industry. In Zeitz, Germany, the non-fermentable residues, for instance, are dried and pelletized, and the resulting high-grade protein animal feed produced is marketed throughout Europe under the brand name ProtiGrain®.
CropEnergies as technology leader
CropEnergies is setting standards in terms of technology and innovation, and is one of the leading players in Europe in the production of bioethanol for the fuel sector. Our bioethanol plant in Zeitz, Germany, is one of the largest in Europe. The plant in Wanze, Belgium, features an innovative, sustainability-orientated operating concept that delivers a unique combination of environmental and cost-efficiency benefits. In doing so, we are building on the wealth of experience accumulated within the Südzucker Group, which had already launched a pilot plant for the production of bioethanol back in 1983.
The continuous, year-round production of bioethanol demands a high level of efficiency. We are constantly optimizing and further developing our products and production processes.
Our plants in Zeitz and Wanze are designed to operate with a variety of raw materials. Another feature of these plants is that the thermal and electrical energy required for the manufacturing process is produced at low cost in an own modern energy generating plant with a highly efficient combined heat and power generation. A further factor is the exemplary energy efficiency of our production processes, above all due to the fact that energy is re-used at various stages of the process. In Wanze, the combination of high efficiency and innovative fuel technology results in a reduction of 70% in CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuels.
Success through closeness to the customer and flexibility
CropEnergies operates in a number of European markets and is perfectly attuned to the specific requirements of the individual countries and the special needs of our customers, who value us above all as a reliable partner.
It goes without saying that we meet all logistical and quality requirements. Here, we benefit from our detailed knowledge of the national and international markets for our products. Our subsidiary in France, Ryssen Alcools, is a specialist in accommodating the diverse wishes of its customers. Whether it's product quality, specification or package size - Ryssen has the flexibility to meet all its customers' needs.
Driving force in research
In its research and development activities CropEnergies is not only focusing on optimizing its existing production processes but is also, within the project Bio-refinery 2021, for example, developing technical concepts for new bioethanol plants, for instance for processing of lignocellulosic raw materials.
CropEnergies is working for example on the use of bioethanol in fuel cells for electricity supply together with the central research and development unit of Südzucker AG and a number of member institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
Fuel cells are the technology of the future for supplying power for electrical appliances. Forecasts indicate that the fuel cell market will see high rates of growth in the years to come. Bioethanol is an excellent energy source for use in fuel cells. Bioethanol therefore has considerable growth potential also outside the fuel sector.

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