ICM, Inc. Signs Software Development & Marketing Agreement with NCAT, Inc.

Software Solutions to Deliver Improved Plant Performance through Proprietary Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Module & a Future Series of Modules

(Colwich, Kan. –June 4, 2013) – ICM is pleased to announce the signing of a software development and marketing agreement with  Houston-based NCAT, Inc. to co-develop and market the Inseo Suite™ line of software services. ICM has been granted exclusive rights to market the first release of Inseo Suite™, the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Module, to the biofuels and alcohol manufacturing industry worldwide.

The Inseo Suite™ applications utilize NCAT’s proprietary Plant Intelligent Life Cycle Platform data repository. This enterprise-level software platform enables virtually unlimited modification of the core software to meet unique customer requirements while maintaining the integrity of the database itself. 

The first Inseo Suite™ application developed with ICM for the biofuels industry, the KPI Module, integrates ethanol plant operational data and produces dashboard-driven information that provides both critical overview and detailed views of plant performance. The KPI Module gathers, analyzes and stores over 30-key metrics in the Cook, Fermentation, Distillation and Evaporation, Key Enzyme Ratio, Dried Distillers Grains (DDG), and Modified Distillers Grains (MDG) processes. This Inseo Suite™ design greatly reduces the need for paper records, graphically illustrates all KPIs on one display, and allows deep analysis into the data to better understand and proactively correct issues with out-of-range processes as they arise. This software solution enables plant operational and management personnel to manage plant ethanol yield optimally based on current market conditions.  Additional product enhancements and modules are planned for future release.

Tom Ranallo, ICM vice president of operations said, “ICM is pleased to collaborate with NCAT to market the Inseo Suite™ and introduce its first KPI module product release. This proprietary suite of products has the capability to convert data into actionable information and deliver sustained profitability for our customers. We look forward to working with NCAT in the rollout of the Inseo Suite™ product line in our industry.”

Bobby Anderson, chief operating officer and Chief Marketing Officer of NCAT, said "We feel very proud to have been chosen by ICM as their software development partner for the Inseo Suite™. Our professionals have spent their careers in developing leading edge software for process plant industries and our team will bring the latest thinking in integrating the operations, maintenance, and financial information for ethanol plants.  It's ultimately about driving shareholder value and that only happens with elegantly managed data collection, analysis, and decision-making."

 Additionally, ICM and NCAT representatives will be staffing a booth (Booth #523) at the annual Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo (FEW), June 10-13 in St. Louis, MO. Live demonstrations of the Inseo Suite™ KPI Module will be provided, and personnel will be available to answer questions about the software services.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Monique Garcia, ICM, Inc.
316-977-6508/316-239-8152 (Cell)

ICM, Inc. Announces Contract with IGPC Ethanol, Inc. on Purchase of its Selective Milling Technology™ (SMT™)

ICM, Inc. Announces Contract with IGPC Ethanol, Inc. on Purchase of its Selective Milling Technology™ (SMT™)
Full-Scale, Commercial Installation Includes Technology License Fee & Equipment

(Colwich, Kan. – March 6, 2013) – ICM is pleased to announce that IGPC Ethanol, Inc. of Ontario, Canada has purchased its patent-pending Selective Milling Technology™ (SMT™) which includes a license for operation of this latest ICM platform technology.

IGPC Ethanol, Inc. CEO Jim Grey stated, “Our ICM-designed ethanol plant is strategically located in the middle of Ontario’s corn country, and it enables us to produce over 160 million liters of annual ethanol production, as well as produce distillers grains that are marketed and transported to area beef, dairy and pork operations. With ICM’s new SMT™ product, we look forward to benefiting from the product’s ability to increase both ethanol production and oil recovery. The fermentation of additional starch made available by SMT™ removes load from centrifuges and dryers, as well as the potential to increase the bulk density of our distillers grains. This benefit allows more weight (product) per truck transport – which can improve our bottom line.”

ICM President Chris Mitchell said, “We’re very pleased to announce the purchase of our Selective Milling Technology™ by one of the largest agricultural co-operatives in Ontario, Canada. Our product delivers higher efficiency and higher capacity benefits.  The SMT™ product is a significant next step in the incorporation of ICM’s platform technology package, and we are thrilled to deliver a yield enhancement solution that benefits IGPC and the members of this strong ag co-op.”

About ICM, Inc.:
Established in 1995 and headquartered in Colwich, Kan., ICM, Inc., provides innovative technologies, solutions, and services to sustain agriculture and advance renewable energy, including food and feed technologies that will increase the supply of world protein. By providing proprietary process technology to 102 facilities with a combined production capacity of approximately 6.8 billion gallons of annual ethanol production, ICM has become a world leader in biorefining technology. The full-service provider also offers a comprehensive line of more than 100 products and services tailored to make biofuels production more efficient and more profitable. ICM is further upholding its responsibility as an industry leader by heavily investing in the continued advancement of renewable energy technologies. In an effort to speed that advance, ICM has been conducting research and testing at its state-of-the-art research facility in St. Joseph, MO, in conjunction with a growing list of strategic partners spanning multiple industries. For more information, please visit icminc.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Monique Garcia, ICM, Inc.
316-977-6508/316-239-8152 (Cell)

ICM, Inc. Announces Contract with Abengoa Bioenergy

(Colwich, Kan. –February 11, 2013) – ICM, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract with Abengoa Bioenergy for the Advanced Oil Separation™ System (AOS™) to be deployed at the company’s Madison, Illinois and Mt. Vernon, Indiana facilities. ICM’s Advanced Oil Separation™ System (AOS™) is a specially-designed combination of equipment that utilizes an ICM-proprietary, patented process to maximize the recovery of non-food-grade bio-oil from emulsion concentrate after the centrifugal separation of mid-stillage (syrup). Installation of the two corn oil extraction systems is expected to occur later this year.

ICM’s AOS™ will enable the recovery of a significant quantity of corn oil per bushel of corn processed, enabling the Madison and Mt. Vernon facilities to generate additional sources of revenue.

ICM Director of Sales & Product Management Brock Beach said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Abengoa Bioenergy to deliver corn oil extraction technology and support corn oil’s expansion into higher-value co-products. The investment in our AOS™ technology affirms the shared vision of pursuing sustainable development efforts for the global renewable energy industry.”

Visit our website at www.icminc.com/aos-news

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Monique Garcia, ICM, Inc.
316-977-6508/316-239-8152 (Cell)

ICM, Inc. Successfully Completes 1,000-Hour Run Proving Generation 1.5: Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology

(Colwich, Kan. –November 29, 2012) – ICM, Inc. announces that it successfully completed its 1,000-hour run of an integrated fiber campaign conducted at its pilot plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. ICM has developed and validated its proprietary Generation 1.5 Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology for the production of cellulosic ethanol at existing grain ethanol plants. Through its Generation 1.5 model, ICM has proved substantial operating and capital expense cost savings over a traditional approach of cellulosic ethanol production. To ICM’s knowledge, this run is the largest-scale fermentation integration of grain fiber to cellulosic ethanol technology to date.

The 1,000 hours of continuous production is a significant achievement, as it qualifies these data for consideration of federal loan guarantee programs which can be utilized in the financing of new, advanced generation renewable energy technologies. ICM’s completion of the 1,000-hour run was achieved through the sequential completion of (24) 15,000 gallon pilot fermenters and (5) 585,000 gallon commercial scale reactors. Another critical achievement from the 1,000-hour run was to demonstrate that the dried distillers grains (DDGs) co-product of ICM’s integrated fiber cellulosic process has a significant concentration of protein-fat amounts that accompany the integrated fiber to ethanol process. Additionally, the standard DDGs market has indicated acceptance of the feed ingredient which enables diversification of the co-product and expansion into new feed markets.
 
From the mechanical operations and process perspectives, the 1,000-hour run performed continuously and exceptionally well as would be required in a commercial operation. Corn fiber yields greater than 100 gallons per ton were performed up to the 585,000 gallon fermentation scale with all inputs (enzymes, chemicals, organisms) utilized at an economically-feasible range. ICM believes that its success with the integrated fiber 1,000-hour run is because of dedicated individuals and extensive testing of various feedstocks at the pilot scale for next generation conversion technology including: corn stover, corn fiber, wheat fiber, barley fiber, switchgrass, energy sorghum and bagasse.

Commercial target achievements and competitive advantages in ICM’s Integrated Fiber cellulosic process testing to date include:

• An additional 7-10% increase of ethanol yield/bushel showing an approximate 3.1 gallons per bushel equivalent. Production previously achieved at laboratory scale has been replicated and validated at both pilot and commercial scales in each reactor run.
• >90% conversion of C6 sugars and >80% conversion of C5 sugars– establishing a pathway to Generation 2 – ability to produce clarified starch and cellulosic sugars to ethanol production and alternative chemicals.
• Fermentation yields >90% (complete integrated process from feedstock to distillation, including backset, wastewater treatment, co-product recovery).
• Co-product market diversification capabilities by delivering substantially higher oil recovery rates and protein concentration.
• Reduced use of the energy center (fewer post –fermentation insolubles, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and reduced carbon emissions).
• Ability to co-distill, utilize existing distillation capabilities.
• The same quantity of ethanol can be produced with 10% less bushels, creating more efficiency per bushel. With an ethanol market capacity of 14 BGY, approximately 5 billion bushels of corn is utilized; not only can 1.4 BGY of cellulosic ethanol be produced – the same production amount could be produced with 10% less grain.

Over the course of the past eight weeks, ICM has demonstrated that its proprietary integrated fiber process design capably and efficiently produces fuel ethanol from cellulosic material as a bolt-on technology to a Generation 1 plant. It also reinforced the significance of incentives to exist for GHG reduction per gallon/ethanol, a more efficient use of Generation 1 feedstocks and enable a progression to Generation 2 production capabilities.  EPA’s denial of the waiver requests it received from governors of nine states on November 16 strongly affirms the critical importance of the next generations of advanced biofuels in meeting the Renewable Fuels Standards production requirements. Recent studies released by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) most updated iteration of its “Billion Ton Study” both demonstrate  that the U.S. has plenty of available biomass feedstocks (54 billion gallons of biofuels capacity) to satisfy a substantial part of its energy needs.

“We are grateful for the tremendous efforts that our ICM employees performed to make the 1,000-hour run a remarkable success. We could not have achieved this major milestone without the collaboration of various personnel functions including outstanding efforts made by our research associates, scientists, pilot plant personnel, product development, construction management, engineering, automation, supply chain, accounting and many others,” said ICM Principal Scientist Jeremy Javers, Ph.D.

“We also extend thanks to personnel of the U.S. DOE, Biomass Program who have provided us with sound guidance and support since obtaining the U.S. DOE award (DE-EE0002875) for this project. We are thrilled with the results achieved in our first 1,000-hour run. Our Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology is designed as a bolt-on product which can be added to existing corn/milo (sorghum) ethanol plants. This successful run validates ICM’s ability to continually add value to the feedstock already being processed in existing U.S. ethanol plants,” said ICM CEO Dave Vander Griend.

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About ICM, Inc.:
Established in 1995 and headquartered in Colwich, Kan., ICM, Inc., provides innovative technologies, solutions, and services to sustain agriculture and advance renewable energy, including food and feed technologies that will increase the supply of world protein. By providing proprietary process technology to 102 facilities with a combined production capacity of approximately 7 billion gallons of annual ethanol production, ICM has become a world leader in biorefining technology. The full-service provider also offers a comprehensive line of more than 100 products and services tailored to make biofuels production more efficient and more profitable. ICM is further upholding its responsibility as an industry leader by heavily investing in the continued advancement of renewable energy technologies. In an effort to speed that advance, ICM has been conducting research and testing at its state-of-the-art research facility in St. Joseph, MO, in conjunction with a growing list of strategic partners spanning multiple industries.

For further information, please contact Monique Garcia, 
by phone at: 316-977-6508/316-239-8152 (Cell),
or by sending an email message below. Thank you!