Background

Brugal & Co. is a well-known rum producer from the Dominican Republic. Brugal operates a molasses-based distillery located in San Pedro de Macoris. The distillery was looking at opportunities to improve several aspects of the operations, including fermentation and distillation efficiencies. Praj’s customized technology solutions improved distillery operations ensuring higher fermentation and distillation efficiency with consistent product quality and a reduction in OpEx.

Business challenges

Brugal distillery wanted to improve the existing plant operations regarding the product quality, which was hampered by inefficient fermentation and distillation. The major areas of improvement identified were:

• Reduced distillation efficiency due to the scaling issues
• Reduced fermentation efficiency
• Higher OpEx due to high steam cost (mainly coming from LNG)

Solution

For its expertise in the industrial biotechnology domain, Brugal approached Praj for an efficient solution to address the pressing concerns. At first, Praj performed a preliminary audit of the distillery. A thorough technological and mechanical assessment of the facility was carried out to study the existing operations, mechanical condition of equipment and the possibility of using spare equipment and accessories. Praj considered the audit findings, the client's opinions and needs, and local regulations while designing the solution. Eventually, Praj came up with an innovative process configuration proposal to deal with the challenges according to the following guiding principles:

• Lower downtime with minimal impact on plant operations
• No change in product quality output or production capacity
• Optimized Capex with minimal addition of new equipment
• Complete solution per local norms

Based on these principles, a few modifications were carried out in the existing system as follows:

Fermentation: Praj outfitted the existing fermentation system with automated CIP system, which included new sophisticated cleaning nozzles. This new adaptation lowered the risk of bacterial contamination increasing the efficiency of fermentation.

Distillation:Praj's team provided instrumentation and automation for close control of distillation systems. An extractive distillation technique was implied to enhance the quality of the product. A reboiler with an advanced design was installed to reduce scaling issues in distillation. Praj's unique process integration and optimization approach was used to minimize the plant's energy footprint. Finally, process parameters were managed in such a way as to reduce impure alcohol and increase throughput.

Benefits to the customer

With the help of comprehensive solutions provided by Praj, Brugal was able to increase the overall operational efficiency of the plant with enhanced product quality with significant reduction in OpEx. A few of the key benefits are summarized below:

• ~ 25% reduction in natural gas consumption
• Reduced feedstock consumption due to increase in fermentation efficiency
• Reduced freshwater consumption due to improved distillation efficiency

The following table shows the efficiency improvement in the plant operations.

Sr. No.	Parameter	Before	After
1	Distillation efficiency	~95 %	>98 %
2	Steam Consumption	150 MT/day	110 MT/day

With Praj’s technology solutions, Brugal was able to reduce energy and water footprint of the distillery with significant increase in the overall efficiency of the plant operations.

During all stages of the Project, Praj demonstrated a multidisciplinary approach that allow for better project delivery and a commitment to sustainability.
Praj’s team of experts demonstrated high professionalism and technical excellence, bringing innovative solutions to complex challenges. Their unique philosophy of achieving continue improvement makes it a leader in the industry” - - Brugal & Co.