A tour this past week allowed stakeholders from Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama to see how ethanol blends have been incorporated in South Dakota as these countries consider implementing ethanol-gasoline blending programs starting in 2024-2025.
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council hosted the tour for the delegation comprised of public officials from the Ministries of Mines and Energy, Environment and Agriculture, and representatives from the private sector and the agricultural industry.
The trade mission visited the farm of Ron and Keith Alverson near Chester where they implement conservation practices on the corn they grow; Dakota Ethanol’s 97-million-gallon-per-year plant near Wentworth; and Vollan Oil, a bulk fuel broker, transporter and retailer in Baltic, on day one. The second day started with visits to the NuStar Energy pipeline terminal and a new Get-N-Go fuel station in Sioux Falls, and after touring POET’s 125-million-gallon Chancellor plant, the tour wrapped up at POET headquarters back in Sioux Falls.