New KMX plant to demonstrate energy efficient biofuels production

A new pilot plant in Ontario, Canada is due to demonstrate how spent solvent and waste water converter KMX’s technology can reduce operational costs for biofuels and green chemical manufacturers.

KMX believes pathways to cellulosic ethanol and biobutanol can be aided by its hydrophobic and hydrophilic membrane technology. The pilot plant will show how it can capture and dehydrate small volumes of post-fermented alcohol molecules in the fermentation brew.

Financial implications of the project were not divulged at the time of writing.

‘We want to enable companies in the biofuels, chemical and plastics space to significantly reduce costs and complexity,’ says KMX CEO Isaac Gaon. ‘Past objections to pervaporation technology that offered energy savings of 50% or more, but which came at a higher capital cost compared to conventional thermal technologies, is no longer the case. The capital cost of pervaporation solutions today can be either similar or often less than thermal systems on a fully installed basis.’

The pilot is also set to demonstrate KMX's hydrolysis process and how hydrolyzed sugar can be taken to a pre-crystalline state by using a sugar enrichment process.