“We are excited to be nearing the finish line on the MSC project,” said Randy Carpenter, plant manager at Flint Hills Resources Fairmont. “We recently installed the last major piece of equipment on our protein dryers. With that complete, we can begin getting the plant ready to produce NexPro later this year. It’s been a long road getting here, and we are grateful for our neighbors and our local communities who have been patient and supportive throughout this process.”
MSC produces a high protein fish and animal feed ingredient from a portion of the distillers grains produced during the ethanol making process. Flint Hills is branding the new product as NexPro™ protein ingredient. The company expects to start up the new MSC technology later this summer.
“Demand for protein in the world is growing,” said Mark Murphy, general manager of ingredients marketing at Flint Hills Resources. “NexPro is a combination of corn protein and spent yeast. The combination contains about 50 percent protein and contains elevated levels of amino acids such as lysine, which is essential for growth animals. With its excellent protein content and improved amino acid profile, NexPro is a great alternative to traditional feed ingredients like soybean meal and corn gluten meal.”
In addition to its high protein content, NexPro has about 3.5 percent crude fiber, 4.5 percent fat and 1.1 percent phosphorus. Flint Hills Resources and FQPT have conducted over fifteen NexPro feed studies with well-respected university researchers to demonstrate value in tilapia, trout, shrimp, dairy, pet food, swine and poultry. The results of these studies have shown NexPro to be an excellent source of nutrients in the diets of these animals.
The cost to produce NexPro at the Fairmont plant will be lower than the cost to produce similar feed ingredients. NexPro will have a comparable shelf life to corn gluten meal and soybean meal and can be stored in silos or distributed through various transportation modes including bulk packaging and containers for export.
FQPT developed the patented MSC technology as an innovative solution for dry mill ethanol plants to enhance their coproduct stream. The technology uses a series of mechanical processes to separate protein from the solids leftover after ethanol distillation. Centrifuges are used to isolate protein molecules from residual fiber and carbohydrates. Once the protein is isolated, it is sent to protein dryers where it is dried into a high-quality meal.
