Press Releases

POET Opens Marion, Ohio Biorefinery


$130 million facility to use latest technology in producing 65 million gallons of ethanol per year


Friday, October 24, 2008


SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – POET held the grand opening today for its third ethanol plant in Ohio during a ceremony in Marion. POET, already the largest producer of biofuels in Ohio and the world, expanded its capacity by another 65 million gallons per year with its newest plant. U.S. Sen. George Voinovich joined POET CEO Jeff Broin in announcing the opening of POET Biorefining – Marion. Other speakers included Mike Wagner, Executive Director of the Buckeye Renewable Fuels Association, and Ken Frayer, Marion County Commission President.

Ethanol is uniquely poised to meet current energy challenges, Broin said. Demand for fossil fuels is outpacing production, and global warming is a growing concern.

“Right here in Marion, Ohio we are doing something about it,” he said. “The ethanol that will be produced in this facility will displace over 65 million gallons of fossil fuels annually.”

This is POET’s 26th ethanol plant, and it will be equipped with technology that significantly decreases its environmental footprint. That technology includes POET’s patent-pending BPX™ process that eliminates the need for heat in the cooking process of producing ethanol, reducing energy usage by 8-15 percent in comparison with conventional plants. It will also be outfitted with a regenerative thermal oxidizer that eliminates up to 99.9 percent of air emissions.

“I could not be more proud of POET’s commitment to Ohio agriculture and Ohio jobs, and our nation’s national security,” Sen. Voinovich said. “This facility, along with the plants opened in Leipsic and Fostoria, represent a critical part of Ohio’s future economy and reaffirm Ohio’s role as one of the top agricultural states and as one of the leading innovators and developers of alternative energies in the nation. POET’s commitment could not come at a more needed time for our nation’s environmental, economic and national security needs.”

POET Biorefining – Marion will use 22 million bushels of corn from area farms to produce 65 million gallons of ethanol and 178,000 tons of Dakota Gold Enhanced Nutrition Distillers Products™ per year. Ethanol marketing for the facility is provided by POET Ethanol Products, and co-products are marketed by POET Nutrition. Rail access is through CSX. The $130 million facility employs 39 people with an annual payroll of about $2 million.

The next milestone for POET will be the start of ethanol production at its pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, currently under construction in Scotland, S.D. The Scotland plant will begin producing ethanol from corn cobs before the end of the year. Also, work will begin in 2009 on a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, known as Project LIBERTY, using that same technology in Emmetsburg, Iowa. POET plans to replicate that commercial process and add it to existing corn-to-ethanol plants in the future.

About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world according to the Renewable Fuels Association, is an established leader in the biorefining industry through project development, design and construction, research and development, plant management, and marketing. The 20-year old company currently operates 26 production facilities in the United States. The company produces and markets more than 1.5 billion gallons of ethanol annually. For more information, go to http://www.poet.com

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