November 11, 2005

US Cargill to start new ethanol plant in Nebraska

Cargill has announced that it would start a new ethanol plant at its corn-processing complex in Blair, Nebraska. The plant would have an annual capacity of 110 million gallons, which would more than double the Blair facility's current ethanol capacity of 85 million gallons a year. It would also raise Cargill's total US production capacity to 230 million gallons a year, making it the country's second-largest ethanol producer.

The new plant would more than double the Blair facility's ethanol capacity from its current 85-million-gallons per year.

Cargill expected to achieve over 750 million gallons of ethanol annually, once production also included signed or pending distribution agreements with independent producers.

Construction would start in spring next year with production commencing in late 2007, pending permitting and incentive approvals.

Brian Silvey, Cargill's manager for fermentation and ethanol, said the new capacity enhanced the company's "ability to reliably meet growing global demand well into the future."

Cargill also provided services, such as grain and energy risk management and marketing of ethanol and distillers grains, to help independent ethanol producers manage their businesses.