Press Releases
Opening of Ethanol Plant in Portland, Indiana makes POET the Largest Producer of Ethanol in the World
9/14/2007
$105 million facility has annual production capacity of 65 mgpy
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (September 14, 2007) - Today in Portland, Indiana, POET hosted a grand opening ceremony for their 21st ethanol production facility. With the additional 65 million gallons of production coming online, POET becomes the largest producer of ethanol in the world. Portland is the first POET plant in the state of Indiana, with two additional plants currently under construction.
"When we started our first facility in 1988 at one million gallons per year, we had no intentions of becoming the largest," Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, said. "We simply realized that farmers needed additional uses for their crops and the country needed a clean-burning, domestic fuel. Now, with ten thousand farmer-owners and investors from all walks of life, we are developing the rural economy, improving the environment and reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil."
The facility, the 27th constructed by POET since they were founded 20 years ago, will be equipped with technology that decreases its environmental footprint. That technology includes POET’s patent-pending BPX™ process that eliminates the need for heat in the cooking process of producing ethanol, reducing energy usage by 8-15 percent in comparison with conventional plants. It will also be outfitted with a regenerative thermal oxidizer that eliminates up to 99.9 percent of air emissions.
POET Biorefining - Portland will obtain 100% of its water supply from a nearby quarry which pumps out water in order to continue its excavation activities. To use this water, a 10 million gallon retention pond was constructed on site that lets the sediment settle out of the water before it is used in the ethanol plant. By using water that would have originally been discharged, the facility will leave more water resources available for other commercial and residential purposes.
U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, who spoke at the ceremony said, "POET Biorefining - Portland and the work of the community of Portland to support it are part of the vital effort to build a more secure America - an America less reliant on foreign sources of oil."
"We congratulate POET on the grand opening of their first Indiana plant," said Lt. Governor Becky Skillman. "This represents another important milestone in the development of the biofuels industry in our state. This plant means new jobs for the Portland community, a new market for area farmers, and a cleaner environment and less dependence on imported oil for all Hoosiers."
POET Biorefining - Portland will utilize 22 million bushels of corn from the area to produce 65 million gallons of ethanol and 178,000 tons of Dakota Gold Enhanced Nutrition Distillers Products™ per year. Ethanol marketing for the facility is provided by POET Ethanol Products and byproducts are marketed by POET Nutrition. Rail access is through Norfolk Southern. The $105 million facility will provide around 40 jobs with an annual payroll of about $2 million.
Ken Klemme, Assistant Director for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Tonya Bergeson-Dana, wife of the late Paul Dana, and their 9-month old son, Paul Conor, were also in attendance.
About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world, is an established leader in the biorefining industry through project development, design and construction, research and development, plant management, and marketing. Formerly known as Broin, the 20-year old company currently operates 21 production facilities in the United States with six more in construction or under development. The company produces and markets more than 1.1 billion gallons of ethanol annually. For more information, go to http://www.poetenergy.com.
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The POET Biorefining - Portland team
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U.S. Senator Richard Lugar speaking at the Grand Opening
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Jeff Broin speaking at the Grand Opening
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