POET, the largest producer of biofuels in the world, opened its 24th ethanol production facility yesterday in North Manchester, Indiana.
The technology used at the plant includes POET’s patent-pending BPXTM process that the company says eliminates the need for heat in the cooking process of producing ethanol, reducing energy usage by 8-15% in comparison with conventional plants. It will also be outfitted with a regenerative thermal oxidizer that eliminates up to 99.9% of air emissions.
The plant will utilize 22 million bushels of corn from the area to produce 65 million gallons of ethanol and 178,000 tons of Dakota Gold Enhanced Nutrition Distillers ProductsTM per year. Ethanol marketing for the facility is provided by POET Ethanol Products and byproducts are marketed by POET Nutrition. Rail access is through Norfolk Southern. The $130 million facility employs 42 people with an annual payroll above $2 million.
North Manchester is the third POET ethanol production facility in Indiana. POET currently has two plants under construction in Ohio. One near Fostoria, slated to open its doors on September 30, and one near Marion which is expected to open later this quarter.
"With its third Indiana facility, POET is quickly becoming a household name in our small towns," said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels . "This new North Manchester facility means more good biofuels jobs and an important market for our Hoosier farmers."
This week Poet received a commitment of $14 million from the Iowa Power Fund for a commercial cellulosic ethanol project. Poet said it plans to convert a 50 million gallon per year corn ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, into an integrated biorefinery also capable of producing cellulosic ethanol, possibly from corn husks. The project is jointly funded by Poet and the U.S. Department of Energy.
About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world according to the Renewable Fuels Association, is an established leader in the biorefining industry through project development, design and construction, research and development, plant management, and marketing. The 20-year old company currently operates 24 production facilities in the United States with four more in construction or under development. The company produces and markets more than 1.4 billion gallons of ethanol annually.
Loading...