Blue Flint Ethanol, a joint venture between Great River Energy and Headwaters Incorporated, celebrated its grand opening Tuesday for a 50 million gallon per year ethanol biorefinery near Underwood, North Dakota.

Unique to the U.S. ethanol industry, Blue Flint Ethanol is located adjacent to Coal Creek Station, a coal-fired electric facility, and is using the excess steam from Coal Creek to run its ethanol production operations.

Renewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen congratulated the company on its grand opening for being ethanol industry visionaries. “Blue Flint Ethanol is a prime example of the kind of ingenuity and resourcefulness that defines the U.S. ethanol industry,” said Dinneen. “By utilizing the excess steam already generated by the electric facility, Blue Flint is replacing the traditional need for natural gas to power its ethanol biorefinery and further enhancing ethanol’s green footprint.”