Aventine Renewable Starts Construction on Nebraska Ethanol Plant

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)-- Aventine Renewable Energy Incorporated (NYSE:AVR ) (Pekin, Illinois) has started construction activity on a $300 million fuel ethanol plant in Aurora, Nebraska. Plans call for construction of a plant that can produce 220 million gallons per year of fuel ethanol in two phases. Phase I of construction involves creating a 113 million-gallon-per-year process train followed by Phase II, an additional 113 million-gallon-per-year train, at a yet-to-be-determined time. Construction on Phase I is expected to take 16 months to complete, and the plant is expected to be operational by late 2008. The Aurora plant will also feature new grain-handling facility, as well as a fertilizer complex and a double loop rail spur.

Aventine selected a turnkey engineering, procurement and construction contractor, Kiewit Construction Company (Houston, Texas), which will work with Delta-T Corporation (Williamsburg, Virginia) on the process design technology for the plant.

The company is also investigating expansion of a plant in Pekin, Illinois, as well. The plant has been operating since 1987 and has the capacity to produce 160 million gallons per year. Capacity will be increased to 270 million gallons per year annually with an anticipated completion date set for the fall of 2009.

Aventine is also building a 226 million-gallon-per-year plant in Mount Vernon, Indiana, using the same construction contractor and technology provider. The Indiana plant is also expected to be completed by late 2008.

In all, the new plants and expansion activity represent a total capital investment of more than $665 million.
Aventine Renewable Energy is a leading producer, marketer and end-to-end distributor of ethanol and biodiesel to many leading energy companies in the United States. Aventine also produces distillers grains, corn gluten feed, corn germ and brewer’s yeast.

Industrial Info's Production Database provides a comprehensive outline of all current development activities in the emerging alternative fuels market. This database covers 123 ethanol plants in operation and 290 plants under development. It also covers 32 operational biodiesel plants and 75 biodiesel plants under development.

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