Algoma Ethanol Moving Forward with Ethanol Plant Construction Activities in Wisconsin

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). After months of controversy and over a year in planning, ethanol cooperative Algoma Ethanol LLC (Auroraville, Wisconsin) is finally proceeding with construction activities on a 20 million gallon per year fuel ethanol plant just west of Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the town of Utica.

The project recently cleared the last of many hurdles that the facility has encountered, when the state Department of Natural Resources decided not to take any action against the owners of the ethanol plant pertaining to some pre-construction movement at the site.

Area residents opposing the project had claimed that construction activities were proceeding without the proper permits, but their allegations were found inconclusive.

The Delta T (Williamsburg, Virginia) designed plant has been moving forward since mid August and the on-site construction company, Agra Construction (Merrill, Wisconsin), acknowledged that the ethanol plant is scheduled to be completed and operational by January 2003.

The $30 million dry mill facility will process some 7.5 million bushels per year of corn into fuel grade ethanol and also generate about 67,000 tons per year of dried distillers grain that will be used as a feed additive.

The main processing building has been constructed and currently the fermentation, dehydration, and distillation systems are being erected. The plant will also be outfitted with a thermal oxidation system to reduce odor and emissions.

The site is located on a 24-acre parcel of land about 1.5 miles west of Oshkosh on state highway 91, about 40 miles southwest of Green Bay.

Jay Brunson, Synthetic Fuels Manager for Industrialinfo.com, adds, "Algoma is one of four ethanol plants currently under construction in Wisconsin. Five others are in the planning phase and if all projects move forward, the state would have the capacity of generating 214 million gallons per year of ethanol by late 2004."