US BioEnergy, announced plans to construct North Dakota’s largest ethanol plant near Hankinson, N.D. Contingent on zoning, permitting and tax incentives, US BioEnergy, which has partnered with Gold Energy, LLC, intends to construct a 100 million gallon per year ethanol plant on this site. A plant this size will consume approximately 37 million bushels of corn and will produce 320,000 tons of distiller’s grain annually.
The $145 million project will employ an average of 150, and up to 300, workers during the construction phase. When fully operational, the facility will employ 40 to 45 full-time workers with an annual payroll of $2.4 million.
“By partnering with US BioEnergy, we are joining a team of ethanol experts that can get our plant off the ground quickly,” said Terry Goerger, a member of Gold Energy, LLC. “Once we’re operational, there will be a local board with representatives from this area offering leadership to this plant. We like that about this company; they have Midwest roots, just as we do, and they know how to get a plant up and running.”
CHS, one of the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives, owns a 24 percent share of US BioEnergy.
The business investors will benefit from a 30 percent state investment tax credit and an exemption on state sales tax for new equipment and construction materials. The company also qualifies for the state Ethanol Production Incentive program, which provides a safety net for ethanol producers.
The State of North Dakota has also made assistance available to the project through the Department of Commerce and the Bank of North Dakota. These include the Commerce Department’s Development Fund, New Venture Fund, and Agricultural Products Utilization Commission, as well as BND’s MATCH and PACE programs. The North Dakota Department of Transportation has assisted with transportation planning and road improvements.
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