Vietnamese ethanol producing testing out US corn as feedstock

In Vietnam, the country’s sole ethanol producer is preparing to test U.S. corn as a feedstock with a hammer mill purchased during a mission to the United States in June. The mission is one part of the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) efforts to support Vietnamese government and industry members as they work to increase ethanol use under a national E5 blend mandate.

Tung Lam Company is the only company producing ethanol in Vietnam, using cassava as a primary feedstock. Prices of domestically-produced cassava have increased since early 2018 due to a demand surge from China and other Southeast Asian countries, leaving limited supply available. As a result, Tung Lam has considered converting cassava-based ethanol production to corn-based and began trial production earlier this year.

USGC organized a technical study mission to Indiana for a group of senior leaders from Tung Lam Company to learn more about the equipment and technology needed to increase corn-based ethanol production efficiency, learn from U.S. ethanol producers and study U.S. corn crop production. The team also attended the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in Indianapolis to gain exposure to and learn from U.S. ethanol experts.