WASHINGTON — The Renewable Fuels Association today congratulated member companies Pacific Ethanol, Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co. (CVEC), Homeland Energy Solutions, and Al-Corn Clean Fuel for receiving Ethanol Producer Awards from Ethanol Producer Magazine and BBI International. This is the inaugural year of the awards, and four out of five of the winners are RFA members. The winners will be recognized at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop, which gets under way in Omaha, Neb., today. RFA members receiving awards are:
- Pacific Ethanol Magic Valley Inc., in Burley, Idaho won "The Good Neighbor Award." The plant's employees have actively helped promote community service programs, Ethanol Producer Magazine explained. Among examples, the Magic Valley plant won Pacific Ethanol's month-long food drive competition both in 2016 and 2017, collecting and donating a combined 4,149 pounds of food to local agencies, while also participating in organized activities within the community;
- CVEC in Benson, Minn., won the "Board of the Year" category. CVEC produces not just ethanol, but beverage and industrial alcohol as well. The nine-member board has also invested in Guardian Energy, which owns ethanol plants across the country, and was one of the earliest in the industry to separate corn oil and to market E85;
- Homeland Energy Solutions of Lawler, Iowa, won "Project of the Year." At the end of November 2017, the company completed a $42.7 million, 35 million gallon per year expansion at its plant. The expansion included 7,700 feet of track to add a rail loop, a 1.2 million-bushel grain bin, and two more fermenters, among many other additions; and
- Al-Corn Clean Fuel in Claremont, Minn., won "Collaboration of the Year," for its work with engineering firm Karges-Faulconbridge Inc., on its 70-million gallon expansion of its ethanol plant. As Al-Corn Clean Fuel CEO Randy Doyal explained, the expansion was finished on budget, three months ahead of schedule with no unplanned shutdowns, Ethanol Producer Magazine noted. The plant has a 20-year collaboration history with the engineering firm, dating back to the facility's first expansion from 10 million gallons to 50 million gallons.
