American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) member Whitefox Technologies announced the successful installation of its Whitefox ICE Plus membrane dehydration system at ACE producer member Redfield Energy, LLC, marking the first ICE Plus installation in the U.S. The new system enables Redfield Energy to increase ethanol production while using less resources, advancing their goal of lowering carbon emissions.
“The Whitefox system has significantly optimized our plant operations by increasing production capacity and boosting efficiency, both of which positively impact our bottom line,” said Eric Baukol, CEO of Redfield Energy. “This technology represents a critical milestone in positioning Redfield for long-term success and advancing our commitment to reducing our energy consumption.”
The Whitefox ICE Plus system works alongside Redfield’s existing dehydration technology, delivering significant performance benefits including a 7.5 million gallon per year capacity increase, steam and cooling water consumption reduction, and deloading of their molecular sieve infrastructure by 60%.
By debottlenecking the plant’s dehydration, distillation, and evaporation (DD&E) unit operations, the solution drives major operational benefits, enhancing efficiency and boosting profitability. As ethanol producers look to future-ready solutions, this project represents an important step in Redfield’s strategy to unlock greater efficiencies.
Chief Ethanol Announces Partnership at Hastings Facility
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) producer member Chief Ethanol announced their strategic partnership with ACE member companies Fluid Quip Technologies (FQT) and Whitefox Technologies to revamp, modernize, and innovate the equipment and process systems at its Hastings, Nebraska, ethanol facility.
Through this partnership, FQT and Whitefox are working together to provide a fully integrated distillation, dehydration, and evaporation system that materially reduces energy demand while improving overall plant efficiency. The integrated approach combines advanced process engineering with proprietary membrane technology to redefine what is possible in ethanol plant design and operation.
“Chief has always believed that leadership in our industry requires investing in the right stakeholders and the right technology,” said Wayne Garrett, General Manager of Chief Ethanol. “By bringing together Fluid Quip Technologies and Whitefox Technologies, we are intentionally leading a collaborative approach that allows us to modernize our Hastings facility with solutions that are not only more efficient today but better positioned for the future of ethanol production.”
Agriculture Groups Join Forces to Call for USMCA Renewal
Farm and agricultural groups, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) among them, recently launched the Agricultural Coalition for the United-States-Mexico-Canda Agreement, underscoring the accord’s vital role as an economic engine for the U.S. farm economy and calling for its renewal with targeted improvements.
As part of the launch, the group unveiled a new website and kicked off an ad campaign in Washington DC, all of which is designed to promote the benefits to the U.S. food and agriculture sector under the USMCA as the administration approaches the 2026 mandatory review.
USMCA was signed by the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2018 during President Trump’s first term and was implemented in 2020 to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. The agreement has significantly increased U.S. agriculture exports to Canada and Mexico, provided more certainty between the three nations and created a mechanism for resolving trade disputes.
To learn more about the Agricultural Coalition for USMCA, visit AgforUSMCA.com.