Eighteen New Ethanol Plants Will Add 763 Million Gallons Annually to U.S. Market by Mid 2005

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). As the list of additional states banning the use of MTBE in fuel blending continues to increase and Congress' on-going debate on a final version of energy bill gets hammered out, a picture of how much the U.S. ethanol industry will grow remains a little blurry.

The ethanol industry in the U.S has grown by roughly forty percent over the past two years and new plant construction is on the rise for the remainder of 2003 and on into 2004.

Currently, the industry produces about 2.9 billion gallons of the renewable fuel annually, and once the additional eighteen plants presently under construction come on line by mid 2005, the U.S. fuel ethanol market will be at its highest level in history at some 3.6 billion gallons per year.

The state leading the way in new capacity construction is Nebraska. Four plants totaling 210 million-gallons are currently under way. Trenton Agri Products is building a 30 million-gallon plant in Trenton. Platte Valley Fuel Ethanol is building a 40 million-gallon plant in Central City. Cornhusker Energy has a 40 million-gallon plant in Lexington under way and Kearney Area Ag Producers is building a huge 100 million-gallon plant in Axtell.

Following a close second is Iowa with 188 million-gallons in the field. Otter Creek Ethanol and Iowa Ethanol, both Brion owned plants, are simultaneously building two identical 45 million-gallon plants in Ashton and Hanlontown. Big River Resources is building a 40 million-gallon plant in West Burlington. Golden Grain Energy recently started construction of a 20 million-gallon plant in Mason City and Renewable Fuels Incorporated has begun some preliminary dirt work for a 38 million-gallon plant in Emmetsburg.

Lincolnland Agri Energy is building a 40 million-gallon plant in Robinson, Illinois and Central Illinois Energy kicked off a 30 million-gallon plant in Canton this past summer.

Missouri has two 30 million-gallon plants that began just a few months ago by owners Mid-Missouri Energy in Malta Bend and Renewable Power of Missouri in Marshall.

VeraSun Energy is almost complete with one of the largest plants in the country; a 100 million-gallon facility in Aurora, South Dakota and Sioux River Ethanol has a 45 million-gallon plant under construction in Fairview.

Western Plains Energy is about 90% complete with a 30 million-gallon plant in Grove City, Kansas followed by Unites Wisconsin Grain's 40 million-gallon plant in Cambria, Wisconsin.

Rounding out the list all the way over in Kentucky is Commonwealth Agri Energy. The cooperative is currently constructing a 20 million-gallon plant in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

The last of this batch of new plants is scheduled to be on-line be mid 2005.