Broin Ethanol (www.broin.com), a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based ethanol developer, plans to convert an Iowa ethanol plant into one of the world”s first large-scale producers of ethanol from crop waste, according to a report by the Associated Press (www.ap.com). The company will select one of the six ethanol plants it manages in Iowa for the project, although it has not yet decided which one. AP reports the plant will use corn stalks, leaves, and cobs in addition to corn kernels to make ethanol.
The converted plant is expected to cost $220 million and is projected to product 125 million gallons of ethanol per year. According to AP, Broin is applying for an 80 million federal grant to help pay for the conversion.
