Go inside the new plant

BURLEY -- A new ethanol plant in Burley could have a huge impact on the Idaho fuel market.

Owned by Pacific Ethanol, construction on the plant started last February and the first batch of ethanol is almost done.

Pacific Ethanol chose Burley and the Magic Valley as the place for their 160-acre facility, once running at full capacity, can satisfy the ethanol need for the entire state.

Completion of the plant is just a week away, and once completed, officials say this will be the largest ethanol producing plant in the western United States.

"We're more excited then ever about ethanol. It's a way we can reduce our dependency on foreign oil," said plant manager Lee Phillips.

Pacific Ethanol built its fifth and largest ethanol plant in the Magic Valley.  Using corn to make the ethanol, the plant started production last week.

"The first batch of corn came in late last week, we received it on a 100 rail car unit train. We unloaded that in about 9.5 hours, and normally it's about a 2.5 day process," said Phillips.

From bushels of corn to gallons of ethanol, it's just a two-day process, and annually they estimate that they'll be able to produce 60 million gallons of ethanol.  And that's not the only thing they're producing.

“For every 100 pounds of corn that we bring into the system, we will actually ship out 83 pounds of a wet distiller's grain for the local cattle market.  When you make ethanol by weight you get 1/3 ethanol, 1/3 carbon dioxide, and 1/3 wet distillers grain, and all three of those are marketable, and sellable,” said Phillips.

The ability to sell the distiller's grain is one of the primary reasons Pacific Ethanol chose Burley.

"And to be providing what really amounts to a 10 percent boost in fuel supply and refining capacity in a state that has to import all of its transportation fuels right now. This is really a great deal for consumers, it's a great deal for the local economy and it's a great deal for the environment," said Tim Raphael, government affairs director, Pacific Ethanol.

Once completed, the Idaho Department of Commerce estimates this plant will produce $7.2 million in additional household income for the residents of Cassia County.

Since the corn will be brought through Burley and the in to the plant, Pacific Ethanol built 10,000 feet of railroad track around the facility.

By doing this, they hope to keep rail traffic flowing in the area while they unload the corn.