Iowa Ethanol Producers Host Summit Pipeline Events
Joined by Summit Carbon Solutions, Golden Grain Energy in Mason City, Iowa, and Quad County Corn Processors in Galva, Iowa, both hosted separate events for community leaders highlighting the economic and environmental benefits of Summit’s proposed carbon capture project. Attendees toured the plants to learn more about ethanol and its impact on the local economy. According to Summit, the project will open new economic opportunities for critical industries such as ethanol and agriculture and create 11,000 jobs during construction.
Summit is currently partnered with 30 other ethanol and biofuel facilities across North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska, many which are American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE0 members. The pipeline will allow some ethanol producers to achieve net zero carbon emissions. The project will pipe carbon dioxide (CO2) to be stored safely and permanently more than a mile under the ground in North Dakota. Summit Carbon Solutions recently announced it secured more than 50 percent of the proposed pipeline route through easement agreements. The Iowa Utilities Board is expected to decide on Summit’s license application in March 2023. If approved, construction would begin in the late summer of 2023 and the pipeline would be commissioned in late 2024.
Highwater Ethanol Hosts Red Rock Central Public School
Students from Red Rock Central Public School’s agriculture class toured Highwater Ethanol in November to learn about the ethanol industry. During the tour, the students were briefed on the different stages of ethanol production such as incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distillers grain production and storage, ethanol storage and shipment. The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.
“These tours give us an opportunity to showcase how clean, renewable energy is produced here in Lamberton, in addition to leaving students with a better appreciation for the important role our industry plays in bolstering rural economies, improving air quality and in advancing energy independence,” said Brian Kletscher, Highwater Ethanol CEO.
Western Plains Partnering with Whitefox on Energy-Saving Project 
ACE member Whitefox Technologies announced that Western Plains Energy LLC (Western Plains) will be the first U.S. ethanol producer to install Whitefox ICE®-XL system at its 50 million gallons per year ethanol plant in Kansas. Engineering phase 1 is already in progress and the project has an estimated start-up and commissioning date towards the end of 2023.
“Since beginning operations in 2004, Western Plains has always been on the forefront of innovation and an early adaptor of technologies that deliver step-changes in energy efficiency and operational yield,” said Derek Peine, CEO at Western Plains Energy. “In our discussion with Whitefox, we found that its ICE-XL integrated membrane solution would serve as a cornerstone in fully decarbonizing our production process. Our quest to achieve net-zero emissions is something that we are passionate about, and we are excited to partner with Whitefox to help us achieve our goal.”
