Kentucky to get New Fuel Ethanol Plant, Commonwealth Agri-Energy Groundbreaking Today

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Commonwealth Agri-Energy LLC, a joint venture between Hopkinsville Elevator Company Incorporated (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) and the Kentucky Corn Growers Association (Eastwood, Kentucky), plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony today for a new fuel ethanol plant that will be built in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Kentucky is no stranger to alcohol production, distilling grain in the state for who knows how long. Kentucky Agricultural Energy Corp (Franklin, Kentucky) produced ethanol in Kentucky in the early 1980's. Currently, one small seven million gallon per year waste product ethanol plant is operated by U.S Liquids in Louisville.

Commonwealth Agri-Energy will be the state's first commercial-scale ethanol plant to be built in over 20 years.

The $32 million corn based dry mill plant will be designed and built by leading ethanol plant constructor Fagen Incorporated (Granite Falls, Minnesota) and construction will begin immediately following the ceremony. Some pre-construction activity like clearing and grading has already begun at the site in Hopkinsville on Pembroke Road.

Hopkinsville is located about 130 miles southwest of Louisville, Kentucky in Christian County.

Once completed in April of 2004, the plant will have the capacity of producing some 20 million gallons per year of fuel grade ethanol. Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) and C02, both by-products of ethanol production, will also be produced and marketed from the site. The plant will consume over seven million bushels of locally grown corn per year.

Commonwealth Agri-Energy LLC is 94% owned by Hopkinsville Elevator, a subsidiary of the Hopkinsville Farmers Coop and 6% owned by the Kentucky Corn Growers Association. The Cooperative will provide the grain stock needed for production and it is anticipated that 10 cents for every bushel utilized will be returned to the 2,300 patrons of the cooperative.