Quality Control Specialist

Alfa Laval Prodec Oil Plus boosts corn oil recovery at Dakota Spirit Ethanol. Alfa Laval has introduced its patented Prodec Oil Plus technology for processing whole stillage at elevated temperatures, helping ethanol producers increase corn oil recovery. A US-based distillery has already reported extracting up to 30% more distillers' corn oil using the solution. Dakota Spirit Ethanol, based in Spiritwood, North Dakota, made the switch from extracting the DCO from the syrup after it has been concentrated in the evaporator to focusing instead on the whole stillage directly after the beer column - i.e., before stillage dewatering - so as to capture the oil that would otherwise be lost in the cake from the decanters. That switch was the result of a long-standing relationship and discussions with Alfa Laval, who were already supplying other technology at the plant but had identified an opportunity that they believed would deliver a rapid and highly beneficial return on investment. "Why not get that oil before it goes to the whole stillage decanter and becomes impregnated, and before you start creating unnecessary losses on the back end?" says Dennis Schoenwald, Business Development Manager - Ethanol and Biofuels Technologies with Alfa Laval. "This oil capture is super critical to the plant because it is paying lots of bills, and previously distillers would only be getting, at most, an additional 5% by adding an additional oil centrifuge at the syrup stage." The Alfa Laval solution is easy to use and simple to install, as it doesn't require complicated bolt-on technology and helps ethanol producers collect up to 99% of the free DCO found in the whole stillage. Unlike the stillage decanters, which are purpose-built to dewater the stillage and produce the driest possible cake, the Oil Plus decanters are designed to ensure that the solids are kept in suspension in the decanter so that the oil is not captured in a solids/cake layer but rather makes its way to the top of the slurry and then that oil layer is carefully skimmed off, leaving a de-oiled stillage slurry to be dewatered in the subsequent stillage decanters with minimum oil loss in the cake. The installation of the equipment in 2024 came after rigorous testing and analysis that confirmed the extensive benefits that would be delivered by Prodec Oil Plus. "The reason for the large-scale test was that everybody had been dealing with the syrup, which is like 70 to 100 gallons a minute per machine," says Stephen Ludes, a sales manager focused on agricultural processing at Alfa Laval. "By putting it through the full stillage flow, if you're a 100 million-gallon plant, that's 1,000 gallons a minute, so it represents significant capital expenditure up front, and the customer needed to justify the recovery and return in order to make the investment." The testing confirmed the major benefits, and there followed a year-long onsite test with a full-size machine before purchase, which gave the plant the opportunity to create a mass balance and assess if and how the technology would impact the production process. Results can differ from plant to plant, depending on factors such as temperature, whether a demulsifier is used, the amount of oil present in the corn crop, and the setup of the fermentation process, but Alfa Laval estimates DCO boosts of between 25 and 40% by using the Prodec 65 Oil Plus skimmer at the front end. Installation requirements are basic and include the decanter, as well as a surge tank to hold the whole stillage and a surge tank for storing corn oil, in addition to some pumps and venting equipment. Through testing and analysis, Alfa Laval can give producers an accurate estimate of the oil yield increase with Prodec Oil Plus, which helps them determine whether the investment makes sense financially.

Alfa Laval develops FreeWaterLoop cooling system for data centres. Alfa Laval has introduced FreeWaterLoop, an external cooling system for the data centre facility loop designed to improve efficiency and support high-density computing. The liquid-based cooling system integrates pump engineering, heat exchanger technology and filtration into a single fully integrated unit. The company says the system provides data centres with a scalable solution that sets new standards in energy efficiency and performance. FreeWaterLoop has been developed in response to growing demand for energy-efficient, high-capacity cooling as operators move away from traditional air-based facility loop cooling toward liquid-based approaches. By using the stable temperatures and heat transfer capacity of natural water sources, the system is designed to minimise net water consumption while returning water to its origin and maintaining a continuous cooling flow. The design also reduces the footprint of facility cooling infrastructure compared with conventional air-based systems. "We're seeing unprecedented shifts in the data center landscape as AI drives higher heat loads and customers push for more sustainable infrastructure. Alfa Laval is responding to these challenges by combining our strengths across the business to deliver the next generation of efficient, reliable thermal and pumping solutions," said Thomas Møller, president of Alfa Laval's Energy Division. "From initial concept to full market launch, FreeWaterLoop demonstrates one of the fastest development cycles for a solution of this scale. It reflects Alfa Laval's shared ambition across the business, fast decision making, and a deep commitment to supporting the data center industry with practical, scalable innovation," said Martijn Bergink, president of Alfa Laval's Ocean Division and Framo.

Alfa Laval breaks ground on research & development center. The heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling technology company will initially focus on protein processing. March 6, 2026 Alfa Laval held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Food Application & Innovation Center in Copenhagen. Alfa Laval Heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling technology company Alfa Laval broke ground on construction for a new research and development (R&D) center in Denmark on Wednesday. The Swedish company held a groundbreaking ceremony in Copenhagen to mark the beginning of construction on its Food Application & Innovation Center, which will serve as an R&D hub, according to a news release from Alfa Laval. The facility, located at the headquarters of Alfa Laval's Food & Pharma businesses in the Danish capital, is set for completion in spring 2027 and will feature the full portfolio of Alfa Laval's technologies, supporting the testing and development of solutions for both traditional as well as next-generation food production. For Alfa Laval it will represent a key milestone on its journey to help address the growing challenge of feeding the world's growing population, with the United Nations estimating that 70% more food will be needed to feed the world by 2050. Johan Agrell, Alfa Laval's strategic business development manager, Food & Pharma Division, says the facility, which the company announced in January 2025, will become a place to develop pioneering ideas - including biosolutions - with customers and partners in the food value chain. With the groundbreaking, the project has moved from planning into execution. The new facility will build on and align with the success of Alfa Laval's Innovation House, founded in Copenhagen seven years ago, where Alfa Laval interacts with start-ups and accelerates the creation and development of new business ideas through knowledge sharing and partnerships. The initial focus of the Food Application & Innovation Center will be on protein processing, which is, according to Alfa Laval, one of the most significant and immediate challenges facing the industry in terms of securing sufficient and nutritious food to feed the world in a way that minimizes impacts on the environment and local ecosystems. Alfa Laval is planning to use the facility to tackle these challenges holistically, looking at how to improve conventional production methods as well as exploring new and emerging opportunities to drive enhanced yields while using less energy and water and ensuring that the recovery of resources in waste streams is maximized. Managing Editor, Powder & Bulk Solids Nicole Schlosser is the managing editor at Powder & Bulk Solids. She has worked as a writer and editor for nearly two decades, including for several B2B publications. Nicole has covered various aspects of the public and private transportation industries, including vehicle manufacturing, fueling, safety, and fleet management. She has also written about the specialty chemicals and materials, biotech, metals and mining, fintech, portfolio management, and leisure industries. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Transcript, LP Gas magazine, School Bus Fleet, and Metro magazine, among others. Nicole earned her MFA in Creative Writing, with an emphasis on Playwrighting, from St. Mary's College of California, and her B.A. in Theater from Illinois State University.