Fluid Quip Technologies Expands Commercial Deployment of Low Energy Distillation™ System at United Ethanol Facility
Fluid Quip Technologies (FQT) continues to strengthen its role in advancing the biofuels industry’s transition toward higher operational efficiency and lower carbon intensity with the latest commercial deployment of its patented Low Energy Distillation™ (LED™) system. The newest installation is underway at United Ethanol’s production facility in Milton, Wisconsin, further validating the technology’s performance at commercial scale.
The LED™ system represents a next-generation approach to ethanol distillation, engineered specifically to address one of the most energy-intensive stages of ethanol production. By rethinking conventional distillation architecture, the platform delivers meaningful reductions in steam and water consumption while maintaining reliable, continuous operation. As energy costs and carbon reduction requirements continue to intensify across the biofuels sector, LED™ provides ethanol producers with a practical pathway to improve both economic and environmental performance.
At the core of the LED™ system is its ability to significantly reduce steam usage by eliminating the need for direct-inject steam in the distillation process. Traditional distillation systems rely heavily on steam injection, which creates unnecessary phase changes and inefficiencies. LED™ replaces this approach with advanced heat integration, capturing and reusing thermal energy throughout the process. This design not only lowers overall energy demand but also reduces water usage and operational complexity.
By cutting energy consumption, LED™ enables producers to lower operating expenses while achieving measurable improvements in carbon intensity (CI) scores. These improvements are increasingly critical as ethanol producers respond to evolving regulatory frameworks, low-carbon fuel standards, and growing market demand for lower-emissions fuels.
The LED™ platform is the result of a multi-year technology collaboration between Fluid Quip Technologies and RCM Thermal Kinetics. The partnership combines FQT’s expertise in system integration and ethanol plant optimization with RCM’s advanced Distillation, Dehydration, and Evaporation (DDE) process design and proprietary intellectual property. Together, the companies developed a fundamentally different distillation architecture that tightly integrates heat recovery across the system, unlocking significant efficiency gains without compromising throughput or reliability.
Rather than requiring a complete redesign of existing facilities, LED™ is engineered to integrate seamlessly into current plant infrastructure. This approach allows ethanol producers to achieve meaningful energy reductions with minimal disruption, accelerating return on investment and reducing project risk.
“With every LED installation, we’re demonstrating that ethanol production can be more efficient, profitable, and sustainable,” said Neal Jakel, President of Fluid Quip Technologies. “Producers are achieving meaningful energy savings, increased uptime, and measurable carbon reductions without compromising throughput or reliability.”
United Ethanol’s decision to implement the LED™ system reflects the growing emphasis among ethanol producers on reducing energy demand while maintaining operational excellence. For United Cooperative, which operates the Milton facility, the project aligns closely with long-term strategic priorities focused on efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.
“We are excited to move forward with the LED system,” said Dan Wych, Vice President of Wisconsin Ethanol Operations at United Cooperative. “Reducing our energy demand is a strategic priority, and FQT’s LED technology aligns with our goals for efficiency, reliability, and CI reduction.”
This installation marks the fourth commercial deployment of the LED™ system, reinforcing its transition from innovative concept to proven, scalable technology. Each deployment has demonstrated consistent performance, validating LED™ as a reliable solution for energy reduction across a range of operating conditions and plant configurations.
The Milton project further strengthens Fluid Quip Technologies’ position as a leading provider of energy-reduction and process-optimization technologies for the ethanol industry. As producers continue to navigate tightening margins, volatile energy markets, and increasing decarbonization requirements, solutions like LED™ are becoming essential tools for maintaining competitiveness.
By delivering lower energy consumption, improved carbon performance, and dependable operation, the LED™ system underscores how innovation in core process design can play a critical role in shaping the future of ethanol production. With additional commercial deployments expected, Fluid Quip Technologies continues to demonstrate that meaningful efficiency gains and sustainability improvements are achievable today, not just aspirational goals for the future.
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