Ethanol Expansions, Enhancements

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Ethanol Producer Magazine checked in for progress updates on six projects reported upon in recent months that will collectively represent capacity expansion of approximately 200 MMgy over the next couple of years.

POET Bioprocessing-Shelbyville
POET is investing $203 million to double the capacity of its facility in Shelbyville, Indiana. Construction began in March with a projected completion date of late 2027. Built just eight years ago as an 80 MMgy facility, the plant has been operating at 98 MMgy.

One Earth Energy
REX American Resources’ plant at Gibson City, Illinois, is nearing completion of its expansion project begun in 2024. “We’re currently running at 150 MMgy, progressing to 200 MMgy,” says President and CEO Steve Kelly. Two fermenters were added for a total of 11, along with additional evaporation, distillation, oil separation and drying capacities.

One Earth Energy’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) project is in the technical stage, Kelly reports, soon to move into drafting the Class VI permit.

The Andersons Clymers Ethanol
The Andersons announced expansion plans for its Clymers, Indiana, facility during its December 2025 investor call. The $60 million investment to expand capacity from 140 MMgy to 170 MMgy is scheduled for completion by mid-2027.

The Andersons also discussed plans to add CCS capabilities, with a Class VI well permit for a completed test progressing through the U.S. EPA’s process.

Agri-Energy
Agri-Energy LLC in Luverne, Minnesota, was on track to restart in late February.

“Innovation is our forte,” Kolsrud says, reporting they are evaluating four potential innovation partners. “We’re a smaller plant and can’t compete on volume, but we do have advanced capabilities, thanks to the R&D work Gevo conducted here. We have a lot of specialized equipment and are small enough that we can afford to innovate.”

Gevo North Dakota
When Gevo finalized the acquisition of the 67 MMgy Red Trail Energy plant in Richardton, North Dakota, in February 2025, they began looking at how to grow the business, says Gevo President and COO Chris Ryan.

He reports farmers also are supportive of Gevo’s feedstock carbon tracking program, Verity. “We’re starting it small, adding growers as we get comfortable that the information collection and processing is working well.”

Expanding carbon sequestration is another possibility for Gevo North Dakota, Ryan reports. The Richardton facility began CCS in 2022. “Experts estimate we could sequester much more CO2 than we are today,” Ryan says. “We’re talking to third parties about potentially sequestering their CO2.”

Verbio South Bend Ethanol
Acquiring South Bend Ethanol in mid-2023, Verbio North America announced plans for a $230 million project to integrate RNG production.

According to its website, “Verbio has developed the technology to produce RNG from pure cellulosic material, such as the agricultural feedstocks of corn stover or wheat straw.” The RNG is purified and injected into the natural gas distribution grid on site.

The integrated process also generates humus and organic fertilizers as coproducts. Verbio has developed “a unique technology to convert thin stillage, a byproduct of bioethanol production into biomethane and a residual ammonium sulfate fertilizer solution.”

As previously covered in depth by Ethanol Producer Magazine, Verbio began producing both ethanol and RNG at its Nevada, Iowa, plant nearly two years ago. READ MORE