Artificial Intelligence, Operational Excellence, and Sustainability: The Impact of Biotechnology in Ethanol Plants
The production of ethanol from sugarcane is an essential pillar of Brazil’s bioenergy system, recognized worldwide as a sustainable biofuel example. Over the years, the sector has benefited from various technological innovations aimed at increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and minimizing environmental impact.
With so many technological innovations, plants require effective management that can generate value across multiple fronts. The concept of ambidextrous companies — those that balance exploring new opportunities (innovations) with optimizing existing operations (efficiency) — has never been more critical. This balance is essential to meet market demands and technological changes, allowing the company to maintain its long-term competitiveness.
Diversification is key to the financial robustness and sustainability of sugar-energy plants. Expanding into new products and markets, such as green hydrogen, biogas, biomethane, second-generation ethanol, bio-inputs, and yeasts, is an essential strategy. At the same time, plants need to meet performance indicators aligned with the best market practices in existing operations, achieving excellence in Industrial Recovery, sectoral loss control, fermentation efficiency, and costs compatible with the sector’s benchmark.
In addition to extracting a wide range of products from sugarcane, existing operations are on the brink of a major revolution driven by yeast selection biotechnology, metagenomics, online NIR process analyzers, and artificial intelligence. These innovations promise to transform industrial processes by offering new ways to optimize fermentation, improve product quality, and reduce operating costs.
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Biotechnology for Yeast Selection
Biotechnology applied to the selection of new yeasts is vital for distilleries, allowing the development of strains that better tolerate the stresses of ethanol production, resulting in higher yields and more stable fermentations. Techniques such as induced mutagenesis, protoplast fusion, cross-breeding, process-driven selection, adaptive evolution, and genetic engineering are used to create custom yeasts that dominate and increase fermentation yield. Recent innovations include succinic acid-producing yeasts to reduce bacterial contamination and non-flocculating yeasts, as well as genetic engineering to deactivate genes and confer resistance to plant inhibitors, improving competitiveness against contaminants.
Metagenomics: A New Horizon in Combating Contamination
Metagenomics is an innovative approach that allows the analysis of genetic material collected directly from environmental samples without the need to cultivate microorganisms, providing insights into the diversity and functionality of microbial communities. Its main steps include sample collection, DNA extraction, sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis, revealing information about active genes and metabolic pathways. Unlike traditional cultivation, metagenomics offers a holistic and detailed view of microbial communities, enabling the identification and monitoring of microorganisms in various industrial and agricultural applications for action-taking.
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Near-Infrared (NIR) Technology
NIR technology is revolutionizing alcoholic fermentation by providing real-time analytical data on critical parameters such as sugar concentration, must composition, and yeast condition. This data allows dynamic adjustments in the fermentation process, optimizing operating conditions and ensuring more precise control of feeding and pH. This results in higher alcohol content, improved fermentation efficiency, reduced waiting times, and reduced vinasse production. Furthermore, integrating NIR with advanced control algorithms will enable faster responses to process variations and more informed decision-making, resulting in higher productivity and consistency in ethanol production. Currently, Fermentec (fermentec.com.br) has monitored the application of this technology in its clients, including raw material quality (PCTS, shredded cane conveyor or Chute Donelly), real-time extraction, and bagasse quality for boilers, fermentation kinetics with NIR in vat recirculation, and sugar quality.
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The Digital Era in Operational Excellence
Integrating MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) platforms in the pursuit of operational excellence provides real-time visibility into the production process, with precise KPI monitoring and early problem detection. This integration, combined with data analysis tools, enables advanced studies, efficient deviation management, and production optimization based on precise data. This whole set facilitates the development and management of collaborative action plans, promoting a data-driven approach that improves operational efficiency and drives continuous excellence while speeding up decision-making by the plant’s team.
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领英推荐
Virtual Expert with Generative AI
In the routine production of sugar and ethanol, unexpected challenges such as increased losses and unforeseen reactions can occur at any time. In such cases, imagine having access to generative artificial intelligence available 24/7, trained with decades of knowledge and technical research data. When a plant faces a problem, the situation can be reported to the virtual expert, which, based on a vast technical framework, provides a personalized response with recommended causes and corrective actions. This enables the plant to reduce financial losses, optimize processes, and maintain operational continuity efficiently.
These technological developments have reduced vinasse volume, minimized sugar losses at the end of fermentation, improved strategies in bacterial contamination control, and minimized operational deviations, providing higher fermentation efficiencies at viable costs.
In this new scenario, plants need robust management and highly skilled professionals. Technology, although valuable, is just a tool. True success comes from the ability to apply knowledge, commitment, and skills effectively. Integrating these technologies with competent management is the path to achieving operational excellence and ensuring the success of improvement projects. With dedication, innovation, and a clear vision of the future, Brazil’s sugar-energy sector is ready to face challenges and seize emerging opportunities, consolidating itself as a global leader in sustainability and efficiency.
Fermentec - Leader in technology for the sugar-energy sector in Brazil
Fermentec is a Brazilian company, a leader in technological solutions for the sugar and energy sector, with a focus on sugar, alcohol, and distilled plants.
Recognized for its expertise and innovation in the market since its foundation in 1977, Fermentec has successfully worked on increasing operational efficiency, reducing costs, optimizing processes, and ensuring the sustainability of its clients.
Fermentec offers services in Consulting, Engineering, Training, Research, and operates its own Laboratories, employing highly specialized professionals, state-of-the-art equipment, and a modern headquarters in Piracicaba, S?o Paulo, with over 2,500 m2 dedicated to the development of cutting-edge technological solutions.
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