From beet – to reduce CO₂
For the production of bioethanol, we use the sugary juices – raw juice, thick juice and molasses – produced in the sugar factory from sugar beet. These juices are fermented and used for bioethanol production without requiring any additional processing.
During the sugar beet campaign from September to January, we process raw juice. For the rest of the year, thick juice and molasses are used.
The production of bioethanol requires a multi-stage process subject to continuous quality control. Bioethanol production starts with fermentation. This involves adding yeast to the juices, with the sugar fermenting to form ethanol. The end product of fermentation is the alcohol-containing mash. The next stage is distillation, during which we separate the mash into an alcohol-containing and an alcohol-free phase. The alcohol-containing phase is processed during the rectification and dehydration stages to produce bioethanol with a purity of 99.9 per cent. We continue evaporating the alcohol-free phase to produce vinasse, a protein-rich animal feed, and Kalvin⁵⁰ for use as an agricultural fertilizer.
Using bioethanol as an additive to petrol for combustion engines makes a significant contribution to the reduction of CO₂ emissions.