Ethanol plant lab plays important function

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Thursday, May 15, 2008

A major component of the new ethanol plant northwest of Fergus Falls is the laboratory. All ethanol produced at the plant has to be certified by the lab before the ethanol leaves the plant by rail or truck.

Testing corn on a daily basis also is a function of the lab. Working there are Johannes Kor and Kristi Tostenson. Both feel good about being part of the startup operations of the plant, owned by Otter Tail Ag Enterprises.

Kor came from Winnebago in south central Minnesota where he worked over two years at an ethanol plant. Tostenson worked for 15 years as a researcher at a North Dakota State University lab.

“We’re each excited to be here,” Tostenson said. “We have a good group of employees at the ethanol plant.”

The ethanol plant will use about 19.5 million bushels of corn a year. It will be permitted to produce up to 65 million gallons of ethanol a year. In the start-up stages, however, production is expected to be 55 million gallons a year.

The facility, located northwest of Fergus Falls off of County Road 116, is expected to generate $110 million in economic improvement annually to the Fergus Falls area. The complex consists of 12 buildings, including an administration building, processing building and maintenance facility.

“Close to 37 rail cars per week are needed to accommodate our production of ethanol,” CEO Kelly Longtin said. “Our corn receiving days are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.”

Corn prices and delivery will be through CHS/New Horizons/French.

For many farmers in Otter Tail County, all of their corn this year will end up at the ethanol plant near Fergus Falls. Some farmers haul the corn directly to the ethanol plant itself while others haul corn to Harvest States along Highway 210, west of Fergus Falls.

“The ethanol plant allows for value-added processing from our home-grown agricultural products,” said Harold Stanislawski, executive director, Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission. “The plant also enhances the economic diversity of our community."