Advancing Biofuels Research
The Coproducts Project is a joint initiative of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC). The mission of the Coproducts Project is to demonstrate the value and consistency of Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) over time from ethanol plants in the state of Illinois. Through the Coproducts Project, Illinois ethanol plants submit monthly DDGS samples for compositional analysis. These results are publically posted on the Coproducts Project website to be utilized by animal nutritionists, feed ingredient buyers, DDGS marketers and export promoters.
Since 2007, the NCERC has been home to the National DDGS Library and manages the Project through collecting DDGS and other ethanol coproduct samples from nearly every ethanol producer in Illinois. The Coproducts Project increases profits of corn farmers, ethanol producers and the animal nutrition industry by providing reliable data that demonstrates the value of DDGS in animal feed.
Coproducts of the ethanol process vary greatly from plant to plant as ethanol producers have customized their portfolio of coproducts through bolt-on technologies, such as corn oil fractionation. This variety causes the DDGS products to be inconsistent in content and nutrition. By providing a consistent sampling and testing of DDGS, the Coproducts Project provides consistent sampling standards and a reliable source of baseline data.
