Description

Company LentiKat's a.s. has developed a new revolutionary technology for production of bioethanol from molasses, sugar cane and sugar beet juice, and starch-containing materials using immobilised microorganisms and enzymes. This technology - Lentikats Biotechnology - can be efficiently used in hydrolytic or fermentation processes, either for an intensification of an existing distilleries or at newly built distilleries. The application of this technology leads to a significant increase in yields and a reduction of operational and investment costs. Herewith, its application decreases the impact on the environment, which reflects in a lower production of waste and energy consumption. The technology is suitable not only for continuous system of operation but also for distilleries which use traditional batch operation.

Lentikats Biotechnology provides a solution for the production of ethanol from the following feedstock:

• Molasses, sugar cane and sugar beet juice,
• Starch-containing materials (corn, wheat),
• Lignocellulosic materials (wood chips, straw).

 Advantages of Lentikats Biotechnology

• Shortening of reaction times as a result of high concentration of immobilised biomass inside the Biocatalyst, which radically increases the reaction rate. Consequently, one can shorten a substrate retention time in the reactors and/or reduce the volume of reaction vessels.
• Enhanced process stability, which reflects in higher robustness of the immobilised biomass. Easy operation of the processes. Shorter retention time also reduces the risk of potential contamination.
• No less than 6 % higher yield of ethanol from a given amount of sugar or starch-containing substrate in comparison with the highest-rating traditional fermentative technologies.
• Repetitive use of enzyme or microorganisms due to its immobilisation in the Biocatalyst's matrix leads to a substantial reduction of operational cost associated with propagation of production microorganisms, eventually with purchase of new enzymes.
• Easy separation of Lentikats Biocatalyst from a reaction media reduces requirements and financial costs for down-stream processes in comparison to application of free biomass.
• Operational and investment costs savings as a result of application of smaller reaction volumes and associated costs for heat and electricity consumption.
• Lentikats Biotechnology is environmentally friendly, which is given by a lower production of waste, especially yeast sludge and other by-products.
• Pre-fermentation equipment is eliminated (it means the elimination of aeration and associated pipes and equipment), consumption of chemicals and nutrients needed for biomass propagation is reduced, and supplies of dry yeast are eliminated. In the continuous systems, the equipment for recycling of yeast (centrifuges, hydrocyclones, etc.) is eliminated.

Lentikats biotechnology works in 4-8 hour cycles and increases yields by approx. 95 %. Integrating our technology to existing processes leads to a higher volume of productivity in fermentation tanks (15-20 kg of ethanol per/hr for volumes of yeast totalling 1m³ ).

Products and solutions

Lentikats Biocatalyst finds its application in the following processes:

• Fermentation of sugar solutions (immobilised microorganisms Zymomonas mobilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces sp.),
• Saccharification of liquefied starch solution (immobilised enzyme glucoamylase),
• Production of invert sugar from sugar juice or molasses (immobilised enzyme invertase).

Technical leaf:

• Bioethanol
• Glucoamylase
• Invertase

Bio Plant 2015 represents revolutionary advances in technology for the production of bioethanol. Its concept was created as a result of the benifits enjoyed by Lentikats biotechnology in the distillery industry.

Bio Plant 2015 is a progressive, production technology that utilizes the key technological aspects from the milling, starch, and distillery industries. Lentikats biotechnology is used in 2nd grade enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation processes.

Bio Plant 2015 is designed to standardize input mediums and to provide flexibilty based on market demand (i.e. in the event of key changes in input sources such as bioethanol, organic acids, biobutanol, and others).

Bio Plant 2015 operates at yield rates of 95 % and higher (with glucose) subsequently increasing the operator’s profit.

When Bio Plant 2015 technology (i. e. optimized water-resources management, sewage-resources management) is implemented and Lentikats biotechnology utilized, energy consumption and negative ecological effects are minimized.

The Bio Plant concept has been utilized in the building of new biorefineries. It has also been used often in intensification processes that have increased profitability in existing operational facilities of all sizes.

• VUCHZ, a.s.
• CHEMCOMEX Praha a.s.
• Fermenta Biotech Ltd.
• ZINCHEM, a.s.
• BIOFERM - distillery Kolin, a.s.
• SEKAB E-Technology