Sandhills Renewable Energy will be installing the Whitefox ICE® membrane solution at Sandhills Renewable Energy’s 55-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Atkinson, Nebraska.

The ICE® system at Sandhills Renewable Energy is designed to increase capacity in distillation and dehydration, while reducing natural gas usage, cooling water demand, and the plant’s carbon intensity score to ensure it qualifies for Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production tax credits.

Sandhills Renewable Energy is partly owned by Husker Ag in Plainview, Nebraska, and its majority-owned affiliate Lincolnway Energy in Nevada, Iowa. Husker Ag itself is in the design phase of an ICE® installation and Lincolnway Energy started up its ICE® system in October 2025.

“The Whitefox ICE® system at Lincolnway Energy supported our goal of reaching 100 million gallons by enhancing capacity and energy efficiency,” said Seth Harder, CEO and President of Husker Ag. “With that success in mind, we are committed to investing in the technology for Husker Ag and Sandhills Renewable Energy as well, with strong emphasis on increased capacity and reduced carbon intensity. The Whitefox engineers tailor each installation to the specific plant and it’s been fascinating to see how they design individual integrations.”

The three ICE® installations are expected to boost ethanol yield by a combined total of 53 million gallons per year.