Grainnet

Rush County, KS Potential Site for E85 Ethanol Plant

This article is taken from the Rush County News.

One of the topics discussed at the annual meeting of Rush County Industrial Development Sunday afternoon, February 15, was the possible construction of an ethanol plant in the southeastern part of the county.

According to RCID Secretary Brad Penka, a company in the preliminary stages of building the facility has contacted RCID/RCED.

The Rush County organizations have begun the process of obtaining letters of support from elected officials of communities in Rush County.

The company plans to apply to the Kansas Division of Water Resources for transfer ot water rights.

The proposed 100 million gallon ethanol plant would require approximately 2,000 acre-feet of water.

Penka said the process is in its very beginnings, with the company waiting to get past the water supply hurdle before conducting a site survey.

The company is reportedly not requesting financial support from the county and would purchase land south of Otis for the site of the plant as well as water rights.

According to the Kansas Energy Information Network, eight dry mill ethanol plants are currently in operation in Kansas with a capacity of over 215 million gallons.

Current Kansas production creates a market for 76 million bushels of sorghum and corn.

More ethanol is made in Kansas with grain sorghum than with corn.

For every bushel of grain used, one-third goes to ethanol, one-third goes to distillers grains, a valued livestock feed, and one-third goes to carbon dioxide.