Construction Begins on Nebraska Ethanol Plant

Ten minutes after an air quality permit was issued for the Platte Valley Fuel Ethanol, LLC, plant in Central City, Neb., Fagen Inc. began pouring the concrete foundation. Construction crews are on a time crunch as the plant is due to produce 8,330 gallons of ethanol by June 30, 2004, in order to be eligible for state-approved tax credits.

The construction deadline is June 17, only 11 months away. If the project is successful, it will be Fagen's first plant built in that short amount of time.

"We were lined up and ready to go," plant general manager Tim Morris said of the July 15 outset. "We had a flying start and good weather to go with it. We feel confident that [the deadline] is not a problem."

The crew plans to work through the winter by having the building enclosed by the time snow falls. If it snows before then, tents will be erected to shield workers and the ground will be thawed to allow the work to continue.

When finished, the plant, which is owned and operated by Fagen Inc., should produce 40 mmgy of ethanol and take in 16 million bushels of corn annually. EP