Renewable Fuel Technology breaks ground on 5 Mgy soy biodiesel plant in Nebraska

June 17, 2008

In Nebraska, Renewable Fuel Technology broke ground on a 5 Mgy soy biodiesel plant in Arapahoe. The $16 million project is expected to be completed by this autumn and will employ a staff of 20.

Nebraska background

Earlier this month, 4Rivers BioEnergy announced a LOI to acquire the assets of Midwest Renewable Energy including a 28 Mgy corn ethanol plant in Sutherland, Nebraska that is undergoing expansion to a capacity of 70 MGy.

Last February, Ethanex announced that they would acquire the plant, but Ethanex filed for bankruptcy in March after failing to raise $1.5 million in interim financing for a planned $220 million, three-plant acquisition in Nebraska.

Under the final agreement, Ethanex has agreed to acquire the existing 26 Mgy Midwest corn ethanol plant for $50 million, and would subsequently acquire an additional 85 Mgy in production capacity, currently under development by Midwest. Total capacity for the plant has been announced at 111 Mgy upon project completion. The deal was initially announced in November. Capacity expansion has been subsequently curtailed.

Also earlier this month, VeraSun Energy officially opened its 100 Mgy corn ethanol plant in Albion. The $200 million plant is credited with sparking a boomlet in local real estate, according to Boone County authorities.

In March, the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey reported that local farmland prices have jumped 23 percent in the past year, and 88 percent since 2003. Adjusted for inflation, land prices set an all-time record in 2007, on strong demand for corn, at $1,425 per acre.

Nebraska Corn Board chair says gasoline requires 30 times as much water to produce as ethanol

In Nebraska, Jon Holzfaster, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board, lashed out at critics of the ethanol industry's water consumption. He said that it takes three gallons of water to produce one gall...

100 Mgy corn ethanol plant at Spiritwood Station, ND breaks ground

In North Dakota, Great River Energy, Cargill and Newman Group have broken ground on the $500 million Spiritwood Station complex that will include a 100 Mgy ethanol plant. The complex will also feature...

100 million gallon ethanol facility breaks ground in North Dakota

Tharaldson Ethanol broke ground on its $200 million project plant near Casselton, North Dakota. The plant includes a number of new features to reduce water usage and impact on local water resources. S...

Florida firm has 1 million jatropha seedlings in ground as jatropha begins take-off in US

In Florida, My Dream Fuel has 1 million jatropha seedlings in the ground in Hendry County, and is planning to open a 150,000 sq ft seed crushing unit to produce jatropha oil for the US market. The com...

European biodiesel industry slammed by soaring costs, loss of green group support, production glut, loss of tax breaks and US competition

The Wall Street Journal provides coverage of problems in the European biodiesel industry, including a production glut, soaring costs, loss of support from green groups over the use of Malaysian and In...

4Rivers Bioenergy to acquire Midwest Renewable Energy, including Nebraska ethanol project

In Kentucky, 4Rivers BioEnergy announced a LOI to acquire the assets of Midwest Renewable Energy including a 28 Mgy corn ethanol plant in Sutherland, Nebraska that is undergoing expansion to a capacit...

Written by Jim Lane · Filed Under Producer News