COAMO Agroindustrial Cooperativa Selects ICM for Design and Engineering of New Corn Biorefinery in Brazil

COAMO Agroindustrial Cooperativa Selects ICM for Design and Engineering of New Corn Biorefinery in Brazil

Adriana Albornoz
adriana.albornoz@icminc.com

COAMO Agroindustrial Cooperativa, the largest agricultural cooperative in South America, has selected ICM Tecnologia em Biocombustíveis Ltda. (ICM) to provide professional services and equipment for a new dry-mill grain ethanol production facility at the COAMO industrial site in Campo Mourão, Paraná.

ICM will deliver a comprehensive suite of services, including engineering, construction review, training, commissioning, and project management, to support the development of this Greenfield Corn Biorefinery. The design and engineering services include two phases. The facility’s initial construction phase will have a nameplate capacity of approximately 249 million liters of anhydrous ethanol per year, by grinding 1,700 metric tons per day of corn, with plans for a second phase that will double production capacity in the future.

This project will also integrate three ICM proprietary technologies: Base Tricanter System™ (BTS™), Selective Milling Technology™ (SMT™), and FOT Oil Recovery™ (FOT™). The latter two technologies are protected in Brazil with issued patents and pending patents applications.

SMT™ increases starch exposure for enhanced ethanol yield while preserving optimal particle sizes for improved downstream separation. BTS™ employs advanced three-phase centrifuge technology to maximize oil recovery from the syrup stream. FOT™, which is being installed in Brazil for the first time, has been setting a new benchmark for distillers’ corn oil recovery performance across plants in the United States by improving solids separation in the whole stillage and significantly recovering oil that would otherwise be lost in the decanter cake. Together, these technologies contribute to greater energy efficiency, enhanced operational performance, and overall cost savings in corn-based ethanol and animal feed production.

“We thoroughly analyzed different corn-based ethanol technologies before selecting ICM,” said Divaldo Corrêa, Industrial Director of COAMO. “Their proven track record of success in Brazil, along with their fully staffed office in the country, gave us the confidence that ICM is the right partner to deliver a high-performance, efficient, and reliable facility.”

COAMO's investment in ethanol production enhances its vertical integration strategy, adding value to its members' corn production by processing it into biofuel and animal feed. This initiative strengthens COAMO’s role in the renewable energy sector while supporting agricultural sustainability in Brazil.

“Partnering with COAMO on this project is an exciting opportunity to work alongside a leader in South America's agricultural sector as they expand into corn-based ethanol production and animal feed markets,” said Chris Mitchell, President and CEO of ICM. “We are committed to delivering the most advanced and efficient technologies to drive long-term success for our customers. This project represents a strong alignment between COAMO’s vision and our expertise, and we look forward to bringing our best-in-class solutions to support their goals.”

This facility is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2026, representing a key step in COAMO’s corn-based ethanol production journey.

About ICM, Inc.

Established in 1995 and headquartered in Colwich, Kansas, with a regional office in Brazil, ICM provides innovative technologies, solutions and services to sustain agriculture and to advance renewable energy, including ethanol and feed technologies that will increase the supply of world protein. By providing proprietary process technologies to over 100 facilities globally with a combined annual production of over 33 billion liters of ethanol and over 22 million metric tons of distiller grains, ICM has become a world leader in biorefining technologies. For additional information, visit www.icminc.com.

About COAMO Agroindustrial Cooperativa

COAMO is the largest agricultural cooperative in South America with over USD $5 billion in revenue in 2024, serving over 32,000 members and operating world-class processing and industrial facilities. With a mission to enhance the competitiveness of its cooperative members, COAMO integrates advanced agribusiness solutions, industrialization, and logistics to add value to Brazil’s agricultural sector. Visit https://www.coamo.com.br/ for more information.