Gek-Gel/VINAGRO Distillery. Production of Rectified Ethyl Alcohol from Grain

In 2014, as part of the expansion of the Khanlar Agricultural Complex UTC, UTC completed the design and construction of a new, state-of-the-art Gekgel distillery for the production of rectified ethyl alcohol from grain.

A unique zero-waste technology has made it possible to produce 3,000 dal of alcohol per day. At the same time, 30 metric tons of DDGS—a valuable dry feed—are produced through the drying of the distillers’ grains that accumulate during the alcohol production process. The compact DDGS plant facilities were built on a 0.05-hectare site at
, and the total weight of the steel structures and equipment was 600 metric tons.

From a byproduct of fermentation, 20 metric tons of liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) with a purity of 99.99% are produced. This meets the demand for carbon dioxide for the company’s own production of champagne and non-alcoholic beverages. Surplus CO2 is sold to other soft drink manufacturers. The Hekhelsky Plant is part of the VinAgro group of companies. The company exports 25 varieties of wine, cognac, champagne, and vodka to Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and China.