Now we’ve got an ethanol plant being built on the east coast. That’s different! We’ve seen so many of them being built in the midwest that it was only a matter of time until we saw them popping up in other areas.

Thanks to Mark Simone at Andrew B.Bellingham Commodity Trade Analysis for the heads up on this announcement.

Dave Brady, managing member of Agri-Ethanol Products, LLC (AEP) today (Dec. 16) announced the location of a $150 million ethanol plant to be located in Beaufort County, near Aurora, North Carolina. Mr. Brady thanked Governor Easley for the assistance that the state of North Carolina provided in making the plant possible. He also expressed his sincere appreciation to Secretary of Commerce, Jim Fain, Secretary of Revenue, Norris Tolson, Senator Marc Basnight, Representative Arthur Williams, Representative Joe Tolson, Larry Shirley and NC Department of Energy, the Northeast Partnership, Tom Thompson and the Beaufort County Economic Development Commission, the Town of Aurora and Roseview Capital.

The plant will produce 114 million gallons of ethanol per year as well as co-products consisting of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and CO2. This will be the first ethanol plant in North Carolina and the first on the East Coast of the United States. The ethanol production will be delivered in each of two, 57 million gallon per year phases, with the co-products output doubling accordingly. Phase I ground breaking and construction start-up is expected during the first quarter of ’06. Approximately $2 million will be utilized through various grant sources from the State to facilitate rail improvements critical to the operation of the plant.