A Washington state company announced plans today (Thursday) to build an ethanol plant south of Sioux City. Baard Renewables is investing 100-million dollars into the plant which will be built in a new industrial park called Bridgeport West.

Councilman Dave Ferris says it’s a big bonus for the community. He says, “It’s a huge deal. I mean, it doesn’t get much better than that.” Ferris says it’ll create 48 jobs with a low wage of about 40-thousand dollars a year.

Sioux City economic development director Patti Heagel says
the new plant won’t cost taxpayers any money. She says improvements from the tax increment district in the area have paid for the infrastructure for the new plant.

The plant is expected to produce 55 to 60 million gallons of the corn-based ethanol. The company hopes to begin construction next fall.