New ethanol plant plans move forward in Central Iowa

Developers are moving forward with plans for a new ethanol plant in central Iowa. Matt Crouse is the project coordinator for the Lincolnway Energy Cooperative, which is planning a plant that would produce 40 to 50 million gallons of the corn-based fuel. He says their feasibility study says it looks good for the future, with the opening of west and east coast markets. Crouse says it looks like the plant will be build somewhere around the Heartland Co-op near Nevada. He says this plant will use an old technology in a new way to produce the ethanol.He says they’re going to use coal instead of natural gas for the process. He says they’ll use clean Wyoming coal and he says burning the coal will result in substantial energy savings. Crouse says now that they’ve decided to go ahead, they have to complete their business plan and line up investors.He says the best case scenario would see them start construction this fall. Crouse says the company’s board of directors has given the approval to move forward, and that’s what they’re now doing.