Solutions In Action
We believe integrated solutions are the key to creating lasting change. With advanced technologies, we’ve developed a system where corn, dairy and other organic waste, and even emissions are transformed into energy and valuable co-products. From ethanol production to biogas generation, every step supports our broader mission: turning challenges into opportunities and building a future where sustainability drives everything we do.
Leveraging the best in technology, Calgren pushes the boundaries of renewable energy and waste reduction. Each phase of our process reflects our unwavering commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable world. We tackle every challenge with bold, innovative solutions and the courage to explore new frontiers in energy innovation.
Calgren: The Location Of Innovation
Calgren is where breakthroughs in renewable energy begin. We’re not just producing energy — we’re pioneering solutions that shape the future.
From biodiesel and ethanol to biogas and clean CO2, it all starts here. Our central hub in Pixley, CA serves as the foundation for our cutting-edge processes, bringing sustainable practices and advanced technologies together in one place. The site anchors our mission, setting the standard for efficiency, sustainability, and progress in renewable energy.
Our sister ethanol plant in Pratt, Kansas and several Central California dairy farms all work in harmony with our Pixley site to advance our vision. Each location plays a key role in Calgren’s success, from innovation and strategy to execution. Every project — whether in biogas, ethanol, or beyond — draws on the expertise of our knowledgeable team and our spirit of boldness.
As we expand our reach and continue to innovate across multiple sites, our dedication to the Calgren mission remains our compass, and it’s from there that we move ever closer to a future powered by renewable energy.
Welcome to the place where vision begins.
Welcome to the location of innovation.
Welcome to Calgren.
Technologies
At Calgren, ethanol production is at the core of our renewable fuel portfolio. Using advanced dry-mill technologies, we convert mid-West sourced corn into 55 million gallons of ethanol each year. Ethanol is a renewable fuel that, when blended with gasoline, adds oxygen improving combustion and reducing toxic vehicle exhaust emissions. Calgren’s bioethanol helps California significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and helps to cut dependence on foreign oil.
Beyond ethanol, the production process generates valuable co-products, Wet Distillers Grains and Corn Oil, that support local agriculture and food production. Carbon dioxide released during fermentation is captured, stored, and repurposed across industries, contributing to a more sustainable carbon cycle. Our high-efficiency systems ensure that every part of the corn kernel is used, maximizing output while minimizing waste.
Key Benefits of Calgren’s Ethanol:
- Emission Reduction: Ethanol significantly lowers harmful emissions when blended with gasoline, improving air quality.
- Local Support: By providing co-products to local farms, we strengthen local economies and reduce transportation emissions.
- Efficient Resource Use: Our ethanol production process ensures that both fuel and valuable co-products are fully utilized.
With ethanol, we are driving cleaner energy solutions while supporting the communities we serve.
At Calgren, we are leading the way in Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) production, converting organic waste into a powerful, low-carbon fuel. Through our advanced anaerobic digestion systems, we capture methane from dairy manure at 20 local, family dairies, preventing this potent greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere. In alignment with our commitment to sustainable efficiency, the biogas captured at each of the dairy digesters is transported through a centralized gathering pipeline to our Pixley biogas upgrading facility where it is then purified and upgraded into pipeline-quality RNG.
This high-purity RNG is injected directly into the utility natural gas pipeline, where it’s used to fuel medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, providing a cleaner alternative to diesel and gasoline. Our RNG is fully compliant with California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and generates valuable credits, helping to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation across the state.
In addition to benefiting the environment, RNG production creates opportunities for local farmers and helps to close the loop between agriculture and energy, all while addressing California’s growing demand for sustainable energy solutions. Anaerobic digestion not only captures methane, a potent greenhouse gas, it also provides for the remaining digestate—a nutrient-rich co-product— to be used as high-quality fertilizer for local farms. This not only reduces the environmental impact of manure management but also enhances soil health and supports sustainable farming practices.
The operation of our digester cluster aligns with our zero-waste philosophy. By utilizing manure as a resource rather than a waste product, we contribute to a circular agricultural system that benefits both the environment and local farming communities. This approach helps to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil fertility, and foster regional economic growth.
Key Benefits of Calgren Dairy Fuels Digester Cluster and RNG Production:
- Reduced Methane Emissions: Capturing methane from dairy manure minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and reduces environmental impact by repurposing methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
- Sustainable Transportation: RNG is ideal for heavy-duty transportation, offering a cleaner, lower-carbon alternative to traditional fuels.
- Sustainable Manure Management: By transforming manure into valuable co-products, we promote efficient waste management and resource use.
- Enhanced Soil Health: Digestate serves as high-quality fertilizer, improving soil fertility and supporting sustainable crop production.
- Energy Diversification: As a renewable energy source, RNG contributes to a more resilient and diverse energy grid.
With our dairy digester cluster, Calgren is transforming waste into renewable energy, leading the way in greenhouse gas reduction, sustainable agricultural practices and demonstrating how innovation can drive both environmental and economic benefits. We’re not just reducing dairy’s carbon footprint—we’re helping to fuel a cleaner, more sustainable future.
At Calgren, we harness the energy potential of organic waste through our mixed waste biogas system. By processing dairy and non-dairy organic materials in our Pixley plant anerobic digester, we produce biogas that powers our Pixley facility, providing a reliable source of process fuel. This renewable energy source fuels our ethanol and renewable natural gas (RNG) production, ensuring that our operations remain energy-efficient and reducing our dependence on external fuel sources.
Our mixed waste biogas system exemplifies the synergy between waste reduction and energy production. By diverting organic materials from landfills, we capture their methane emissions and transform them into a valuable fuel, effectively turning waste into energy. This closed-loop process minimizes environmental impact and supports our commitment to sustainability.
Key Benefits of Calgren’s Mixed Waste Biogas:
- Waste Diversion: By processing mixed organic waste, we reduce landfill use and methane emissions.
- Process Fuel: Biogas serves as an internal energy source, powering our renewable fuel operations.
- Circular Economy: Our mixed waste biogas system turns waste into a productive resource, promoting resource efficiency.
With mixed waste biogas, Calgren is driving a cleaner, waste-to-energy future by utilizing diverse organic materials to fuel our renewable energy systems.
At our Pixley facility, Calgren produces high-quality biodiesel from multiple feedstocks. Our unique, super-critical biodiesel plant design is capable of converting corn oil, a co-product of our ethanol production, as well as tallow and used cooking oil, both waste products, into renewable biodiesel. Biodiesel is blended with traditional diesel to create a renewable alternative, reducing harmful emissions and contributing to cleaner transportation solutions.
Our on-site biodiesel production not only makes efficient use of the resources within our facility but also supports the shift toward low-carbon fuels in the transportation industry.
Key Benefits of Calgren’s Biodiesel:
- Emission Reduction: Biodiesel burns cleaner than traditional diesel, reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Resource Efficiency: By converting corn oil and waste oils into biodiesel, we maximize resource use and minimize waste.
- Sustainable Transportation: Biodiesel offers a renewable, low-carbon fuel option for heavy-duty vehicles and other industries.
With biodiesel, we are delivering renewable energy solutions that drive sustainability and lower carbon footprints in transportation.
The Tulare County Carbon Storage Project (TCCSP) is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at creating a carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub in Tulare County. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s CarbonSAFE Program, this project involves community outreach, test well development, and data analysis to determine the feasibility of using CCS to decarbonize industrial operations in the region.
Learn more about Calgren’s Tulare County Carbon Storage Project (TCCSP)
Co-Products
Wet Distillers Grains (WDG) is a key co-product of our ethanol production process. WDG is a high-quality animal feed consisting of the remaining corn components after ethanol distillation is complete. Every year, Calgren produces 400,000 tons of WDG, which serves as a nutritious, high-protein feed for local dairy livestock. This co-product is rich in nutrients and energy, making it a valuable resource for dairy operations in the region.
By converting corn into ethanol and WDG, we create a circular system that not only provides renewable fuel but also supports the agricultural community. WDG minimizes feed costs for farmers while reducing the carbon footprint of the ethanol production process.
Key Benefits of Calgren’s WDG:
- Nutritional Value: WDG is a high-quality feed ingredient, providing essential proteins and nutrients for livestock.
- Cost Efficiency: Farmers benefit from reduced feed costs, contributing to more sustainable agriculture.
- Waste Reduction: Utilizing every part of the corn kernel ensures minimal waste and maximum resource efficiency.
Our WDG production exemplifies how we turn waste into value, supporting both renewable energy and agriculture.
Corn oil is another vital co-product from our ethanol production process. At Calgren, we extract 1.5 million gallons of corn oil annually, using advanced separation technologies. This high-quality corn oil is utilized primarily in poultry feed, providing a high-energy ingredient that supports healthy growth and feed efficiency in the agricultural sector. The corn oil may also be used as a feedstock for biodiesel production.
The seamless integration of corn oil extraction within our ethanol production optimizes resource use, further reducing waste and enhancing our commitment to renewable, circular systems.
Key Benefits of Calgren’s Corn Oil:
- High-Energy Feedstock: Corn oil provides essential fats for animal nutrition, improving growth and production efficiency.
- Zero-Waste Approach: The extraction of corn oil from ethanol production aligns with our commitment to resource optimization.
- Agricultural Support: Corn oil contributes to more efficient and sustainable feed solutions for local poultry farms.
By maximizing the value of every corn kernel, we ensure that our operations support both renewable energy and local agricultural needs.
Calgren is at the forefront of carbon capture and utilization technology, an essential tool in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At our Pixley facility, we capture CO2 produced during the ethanol fermentation process, as well as during our biogas cleaning and upgrading process, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere. This captured CO2 is then stored and repurposed for use in various industries, including food and beverage, agriculture, and manufacturing, offering a clean, sustainable source of carbon dioxide.
This synergistic approach supports a sustainable, closed-loop system, where every co-product is either repurposed or reintegrated into the production system, maximizing resource use while minimizing environmental impact.
Key Benefits of Calgren’s Carbon Capture and Utilization:
- Emission Reduction: Capturing CO2 reduces fuel production emissions, contributing to climate change mitigation.
- Industrial Applications: Clean, captured CO2 is used across multiple industries, providing an eco-friendly carbon source.
- Zero-Waste Approach: The capture and use of CO2 from fuel production aligns with our commitment to resource optimization.
Through carbon capture and utilization, Calgren not only reduces its carbon footprint but also creates new value streams that contribute to a more sustainable, resource-efficient economy.