By Rubina Obaid
FDA guidelines which were announced on Friday, plants which produce fuel ethanol would be allowed to use it for making hand sanitizers if proper sanitation of equipment, water purity and no additives are going to be ensured by the plant.
Global health crisis led to the shortage of sanitizing and cleaning products; hospitals, nurses and households are desperately searching for hand sanitizers. On the other hand due to the frenzied demand food and drug authority has offered flexibility for sanitizer manufacturing companies for the type of alcohol to be used in making and granting leverage for the sake of quick expansion of the industry in the time of the lethal outbreak. Due to the stringent policies earlier that prohibited many of the ethanol plants to use their alcohol which didn’t meet the high-quality criteria of the set standards by FDA.
Under the latest FDA guidelines which were announced on Friday, plants which produce fuel ethanol would be allowed to use it for making hand sanitizers if proper sanitation of equipment, water purity and no additives are going to be ensured by the plant Biofuel plant ethanol for hand sanitizers. FDA further added that each plant will be considered individually for inspection and then the approval will be granted accordingly only to the plants who will meet the quality control specifications. Therefore, Western New York Energy (WNYE), one of the largest ethanol producers adapted the operations to supply distillers, technology, manufacturing and personal care corporations across Northeast and Canada with ethanol for the production of 80 percent antiseptic hand sanitizers.
Western New York Energy (WNYE) generates around 60 million gallon of biofuel every year, using 20 million bushels of corn and the plant produces 100,000 gallons of tech grade ethanol per day for the business, in order to meet the need of sanitizers at hospitals and for the communities which are at higher risk. Biofuel plant ethanol for hand sanitizers According to Tim Winters, president and CEO of WNYE “Along with the corn growers of New York, WNYE is proud to supply ethanol to the distillers and companies that instantly responded to the alarming lack of sanitizers due to COVID 19 and while many upstream chemical used in sanitizer products are manufactured in China, WNYE has also established a manufacturing and distribution network that will exponentially increase the production of antiseptic sanitizers made from our farmer’s corn. All the sanitizers and the sanitizers products will be made in Western New York Energy and the United States.”
Corn ethanol is key ingredient that is used to produce 80 percent of antiseptic hand sanitizers and this would not have been possible without the support of our farmers. As they are important to America’s food supply and contributing for the sustainable nation, so they are for WNYE. New York corn and Soybean Grower Association executive director said “WNYE is a respected industry partner and critically important and reliable market for our corn growers. In usual circumstances, our crop is used in the Medina facility to make clean, renewable fuel but these are not usual circumstances. We applaud WNYE’s ability to pivot and provide needed sanitation resources while maintaining the market for our growers during uncertain times.” WNYE employees produce ethanol 24/7 using hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls and five-megawatt of electric load is being met by the hydropower obtained from the Niagara power project. WNYE’s adaptability in the time of global pandemic is absolutely laudable.
Reference links:
wwwcanadianbiomassmagazine.ca/new-york-biofuel-plant-supplying-ethanol-for-hand-sanitizer/
