The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) hereby announces that Aemetis, Inc. (Aemetis; Headquarters: California, USA) has adopted MCG's zeolite membrane (ZEBREX) dehydration system at the bioethanol refining plant and started operation in August 2022.

The system installed in the plant has produced a larger volume of bioethanol than any other zeolite membrane dehydration system in the world.

Bioethanol must be dehydrated to a concentration of 99% or higher for use as a fuel. In the dehydration process, there is great demand to reduce energy consumption. ZEBREX is capable of separating and removing water molecules selectively through the homogeneous pores of the zeolite membrane and of operating continuously, unlike the conventional batch dehydration system that uses the PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) method.

By switching from the PSA method to the ZEBREX dehydration system, Aemetis achieved more than 20% energy consumption reduction at its bioethanol refining plant. The system also contributes to lower operating costs and stable operation of the entire plant, as well as reducing CO2 emissions.

ZEBREX can be used for dehydration of various organic solvents in addition to ethanol. Through the energy-saving technology of ZEBREX, MCG will contribute to the promotion of efficient production and use of resources and energy.

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