Blue Flint Ethanol

Blue Flint Ethanol is an bioethanol producing company and a production plant with a same name, located in Underwood, North Dakota approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of Bismarck. The plant is unique in the fact that rather than burning fuels, such as coal or natural gas to drive the production process, waste heat from electrical generation at the Coal Creek Station is used. The US$100 million dollar plant is capable of processing 18 million bushels (460,000 metric tons) of corn to produce 50 million gallons (190 million liters) of ethanol each year, and is estimated to have a net annual economic impact of $160 million on the North Dakota economy, as well as the creation of approximately 40 new jobs to run the plant. In addition to producing ethanol the plant will also produce dry distillers grains, a byproduct of the distillation process which is used as animal feed. Of the 18 million bushels of corn used each year for feedstock, the majority will be grown in southeast North Dakota and brought in via rail, with the remaining one third being produced locally. In 2006 the Blue Flint Ethanol project was awarded the Project of the Year Award by Governor John Hoeven.