Orion Ethanol Diversifies

Cindy Zimmerman

Orion Ethanol of Kansas has acquired a corn fructose wet milling facility located in Texas from Dimmitt Ethanol.

Orion EthanolOrion plans to convert the facility into a fully integrated renewable fuels campus in three phases over 3 years. The first phase will convert the corn fructose wet milling facility into a 60 million gallon per year ethanol plant and 10 million gallon per year edible oil extraction facility. Phases two and three will consist of adding a 10 million gallon per year cellulose-to-ethanol process, a 12 million gallon per year biodiesel plant, a 25,000 ton per year yeast plant, and a 60-75 Megawatt wind and biomethane based electrical generation facility. The asset purchase brings with it approximately 1,200 surrounding acres and a wind lease agreement.

Orion chairman of the board Patrick Barker says, “Dimmitt Ethanol’s wet milling facility is the ideal platform upon which we plan to develop an integrated renewable fuels campus that will include production of cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, biomethane, and wind power. This project will help to horizontally diversify Orion across the energy spectrum, building upon Orion Ethanol’s past success acquiring and developing our 55 million gallon per year dry-mill ethanol plant in Pratt, Kansas.”

Biodiesel, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Facilities, News, Wind