Henry Ford and Alexander Graham Bell were among the first to recognize that the plentiful sugars found in plants could be easily and inexpensively converted into clean-burning, renewable alcohol fuels.
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While the concept is the same today as it was then, the ethanol industry has come a long way since those days. Today, sophisticated renewable fuel refineries operate much like a chemical refinery, able to produce multiple renewable fuels and products. Using state-of-the-art technologies, ethanol biorefineries convert grains, beverage and food waste, cellulosic biomass and other products called feedstocks into high-efficiency ethanol.
Over 90 percent of the grain ethanol produced today comes from the dry milling process, with the remaining coming from wet mills. The main difference between the two is in the initial treatment of the grain.
In dry milling, the entire grain kernel is first ground into “meal,” then slurried with water to form a “mash.”
Enzymes are added to the mash to convert starch to sugar. The mash is cooked, then cooled and transferred to fermenters. Yeast is added and the conversion of sugar to alcohol begins. After fermentation, the resulting “beer” is separated from the remaining “stillage.” The ethanol is then distilled and dehydrated, then blended with about 2% denaturant (such as gasoline) to render it undrinkable. It is then ready for shipment. The stillage is sent through a centrifuge that separates the solids from the solubles. These co-products eventually become distillers grains, as well as corn distillers oil. For more information on co-products and current production, visit our co-products page.
In wet milling, the grain is first separated into its basic components through soaking.
After steeping, the slurry is processed through grinders to separate the corn germ. The remaining fiber, gluten and starch components are further segregated. The gluten component (protein) is filtered and dried to produce animal feed. The remaining starch can then be fermented into ethanol, using a process similar to the dry mill process.
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U.S. fuel ethanol production capacity and annual production have increased over time. Since , the increases have largely been because of the fuel blending requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard program. Total production capacity increased from 13.6 billion gallons per year in to about 17.7 billion gallons per year by the end of . Total annual fuel ethanol production generally increased each year from through .
In , U.S. fuel ethanol production (as measured by renewable fuels and oxygenate plant net production of fuel ethanol) was about 15.4 billion gallons (about 0.4 billion barrels). Fuel ethanol production fell in , mainly because lower overall gasoline demand reduced the demand for ethanol blending into motor gasoline. However, continuing the trend since , total annual fuel ethanol production exceeded annual fuel ethanol consumption in , as measured by the amount blended into motor gasoline, by about 1.3 billion gallons. The United States exported about 1.3 billion gallons (31.3 million barrels) of fuel ethanol to at least 87 countries in .
Although the United States has been an annual net exporter of fuel ethanol since , it imports some fuel ethanol, mostly from Brazil. Most fuel ethanol imports from through have been to the U.S West Coast.
As of January 1, , fuel ethanol production facilities were located in 21 states with a total production capacity of about 17.7 billion gallons per year. Most U.S. fuel ethanol production capacity (93%) was located in the Midwest region (Petroleum Administration for Defense District or PADD 2), where production capacity was about 16.6 billion gallons per year. Three states combined had 50% of total production capacity: Iowa (27%), Nebraska (13%), and Illinois (10%). Those three states combined also accounted for 50% of total annual U.S. fuel ethanol production in ; Iowa accounted for 27%, Nebraska for 13%, and Illinois for 10%.1 The Midwest region accounted for 95% of total U.S. fuel ethanol production in .
Because ethanol cannot be transported in petroleum product pipelines, it is transported from ethanol production facilities by rail, tanker and barge, and truck to finished motor gasoline blending terminals and then by truck to gasoline fueling stations.
Last updated: January 26, .
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