Humans have been making ethanol for thousands of years, but today, it’s all about sustainability and innovation. Western Plains Energy is at the forefront of this shift, pushing boundaries to create carbon-neutral products. It’s about more than just fuel—it’s about shaping a cleaner, greener future, one breakthrough at a time.
Grain Receiving
WPE has 2.5 million bushels of storage capacity and 3 separate dump pits, which minimizes wait times for grain truck drivers.
Mash Preparation
Grain is milled into a flour and then mixed with water and enzymes. The enzymes help to break down the starch that is present in the grain into sugar molecules.
Fermentation
During the fermentation process, yeast metabolize sugar molecules into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This process typically takes 60 hours to complete, and results in a liquid product that we call beer that contains about 14 w/v% alcohol.
Distillation
The beer from the fermentation step is pumped to the distillation system where the ethanol is stripped away from the water and non-starch components of the grain. The ethanol stream leaving distillation is 190 proof, which is 95% pure ethanol.
Molecular Sieves
To further concentrate the ethanol up 200 proof (99.5%+ ethanol), we use molecular sieves which trap water molecules and allow pure ethanol molecules to pass through.
Storage
WPE has 2 large storage tanks to store product in until it is shipped out by truck or by rail.
Fuel Ethanol
Fuel-grade ethanol is 200 proof ethanol that has been denatured with approximately 2% gasoline. This product is sold to fuel blenders to be blended down to E10 (i.e. 10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) or E15 (i.e. 15% ethanol, 85% gasoline) before it is shipped to gas stations.
Centrifugation
The water and non-fermentable (i.e. oil, protein, fiber) portions of the grain are separated by large centrifuges.
Wet Distiller's Grains
Wet Distiller's Grains (also called WDG, WDGS, and Wet Cake) is a high-protein, high-energy animal feed product. The product from WPE is predominately fed to beef and dairy cow operations within our geographical region.
Feed
The product from WPE is pre-dominantly fed to beef and dairy cow operations within our geographical region. See the distiller's section on this webpage for more detailed nutritional information.
Evaporation
Evaporation is used to further concentrate the liquid stream from the centrifugation process. The resulting product is called syrup and is around 32%-34% solids.
Dryer
A distillers dryer is used to convert the wet distiller's grains (65-67% moisture) to dry distiller's grains (10%-12% moisture).
Hover over images for details.
GRAIN RECEIVING
CORN/MILO
MILLING
WPE can store up to 1.8M bushels of grain. All grain is received by truck, and is then stored until it is processed.
MASH PREPARATION
ENZYMES
Grain is milled into a flour and then mixed with water and enzymes. The enzymes help to break down the starch that is present in the grain into sugar molecules.
FERMENTATION
CO2
During the fermentation process, yeast metabolize sugar molecules into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This process typically takes 60 hours to complete, and results in a liquid product that we call beer that contains about 14 w/v% alcohol.
DISTILLATION
190 PROOF
The beer from the fermentation step is pumped to the distillation system where the ethanol is stripped away from the water and non-starch components of the grain. The ethanol stream leaving distillation is 190 proof, which is 95% pure ethanol.
MOLECULAR SIEVES
200 PROOF
To further concentrate the ethanol up 200 proof (99.5%+ ethanol), we use molecular sieves which trap water molecules and allow pure ethanol molecules to pass through.
STORAGE
DENATURANT
WPE has 2 large storage tanks to store product in until it is shipped out by truck or by rail.
FUEL ETHANOL
Fuel-grade ethanol is 200 proof ethanol that has been denatured with approximately 2.5% gasoline. This product is sold to fuel blenders to be blended down to E10 (i.e. 10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) or E15 (i.e. 15% ethanol, 85% gasoline) before it is shipped to gas stations.
CENTRIFUGATION
SOLIDS
LIQUIDS
The water and non-fermentable (i.e. oil, protein, fiber) portions of the grain are separated by large centrifuges.
WET DISTILLERS GRAINS
Wet Distiller’s Grains (also called WDG, WDGS, and Wet Cake) is a high-protein, high-energy animal feed product. The product from WPE is predominately fed to beef and dairy cow operations within our geographical region.
FEED
The production from WPE is pre-dominantly fed to beef and dairy cow operations within our geographical region. See the distiller’s section on this webpage for more detailed nutritional information.
EVAPORATION
PROCESS CONDENSATE
SYRUP
Evaporation is used to further concentrate the liquid stream from the centrifugation process. The resulting product is called syrup and is around 32%-34% solids.
DRYER
DRIED DISTILLERS GRAINS
A distillers dryer is used to convert the wet distiller’s grains (65-67% moisture) to dry distiller’s grains (10%-12% moisture).
