North Dakota Ethanol Plants
The six North Dakota ethanol plants have the capacity to produce 550 million gallons of ethanol per year, which is 50% more than the production capacity a decade ago. Five of the six plants are located in a community with a population of less than 2,500 and contribute an average of 57 jobs and an average annual payroll of $6.4 million to the community.
North Dakota ethanol plants use 160-180 million bushels of corn annually with more than 80 percent of the corn purchased from North Dakota farmers. Forty to 60 percent of the state’s total corn production annually is purchased by North Dakota ethanol plants. Each bushel of corn processed produces 3 gallons of ethanol, 15 pounds of livestock feed (dried distillers grains), 18 pounds of carbon dioxide and up to 1 pound of corn oil.
Blue Flint
Blue Flint is located in Underwood, N.D. Blue Flint uses about 25 million bushels of corn annually, which will in turn produce 70 million gallons of ethanol, 200,000 tons of dried distiller's grain and 2.5 million gallons of corn oil each year.
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Dakota Spirit
Dakota Spirit is located in Spiritwood, N.D. It uses about 25 million bushels of corn annually, which will in turn produce 75 million gallons of ethanol, 200,000 tons of dried distiller's grain and 2.5 million gallons of corn oil each year.
Guardian Energy Hankinson
Guardian Energy Hankinson is a corn-based ethanol plant located in Hankinson, N.D. The plant uses approximately 52 million bushels of corn annually, which will, in turn, produce 154 million gallons of ethanol, 360,000 tons of dried distiller's grain and 6.2 million gallons of corn oil each year.
Red Trail Energy, LLC
Red Trail Energy, LLC (RTE) is a North Dakota-based investor group formed to finance, construct and operate a corn-based ethanol production facility located near Richardton, N.D. RTE uses 23 million bushels of corn to produce 63 million gallons of ethanol, 180,000 tons of dried distillers grain, 80,000 tons of modified-wet cake, and 2.8 million gallons of corn oil annually.
Tharaldson Ethanol
Tharaldson Ethanol is located just west of Casselton, N.D., an area known for its rich farming tradition. Tharaldson Ethanol uses 60 million bushels of corn annually, which produces 175 million gallons of ethanol, 450,000 tons of dried distiller's grain and 6.3 million gallons of corn oil each year.
Red River Biorefinery
Red River Biorefinery is located in Grand Forks, N.D., and is the state's newest plant beginning operations in 2020. The plant converts 550,000 tons of byproduct, including sugar beet tailings and potato processing
waste into 16.5 million gallons of ethanol and 100,000 tons of livestock feed each year.