Innovative betaine production from vinasse

Novasep Process and Danisco, announced the scale-up of an innovative process for the production of natural betaine.

 

The plant will be the first to exploit a new extraction process using vinasse, a byproduct of sugar-beet-derived bioethanol.

 

Its use will enable Danisco to substantially increase the availability of natural betaine, which is globally used as a technical animal feed ingredient and currently in short supply.

 

Danisco pioneered the research and application of natural betaine in animal nutrition in the early 1990s and has demonstrated superior value compared to synthetic alternatives.

 

Unlike synthetic betaine, natural betaine acts as an osmolyte, improving intestinal health and reducing the negative impact of heat-stress on animal production.

 

As well as increasing the availability of betaine, the new process will allow the betaine-extracted bioethanol vinasses (residues) to be further recycled and sold as crop fertilizer.

 

Until now, it was possible to extract natural betaine only from sugar-beet molasses, a side stream of sugar production.

 

The new process will be increasingly valuable as the increase of the bioethanol production using beets will generate more and more vinasses.

 

Novasep Process is responsible for the engineering of the new plant and will provide the complete process line which combines Danisco’s proprietary chromatographic technology, known as NS2P, with membrane and evaporation steps.

 

This project is the latest development of the FAST alliance between Novasep and Danisco in the field of betaine extraction and purification, which has already given birth to several betaine production plants.

 

Danisco and Novasep will provide technological support for the betaine production plant with De Smet Engineering and Contractors, being in charge of building construction, erection services and auxiliaries supply of the new development.

 

Tereos, a world player in sugar, starch and bioethanol production, will supply the vinasses and operate the plant at its facility in Origny, France.