A NEW RENEWABLE FUEL BUSINESS NEAR MERRILL IS STARTING UP OPERATIONS 01.27.09

Dave Hoffman of Plymouth Energy says the startup for the ethanol plant began December 8, 2008 with the first corn grinding. The business is producing a product that's left the plant by rail.

"I believe we're running right now just under 90 percent of nameplate capacity," Hoffman explained. "I think we're making roughly, on an average between 110-140-thousand gallons of ethanol a day. We've sent out several trains of train cars of ethanol probably in the four million gallon range that we've shipped so far. Basically, we're getting the plant fine tuned and our technology provider, Delta t, will be set up to do a performance run, in about one-and-a-half to two weeks that will start fine-tuning continues during this start-up of operations.

"I can tell you that all the products that we have made have been on spec," Hoffman says. "They've made their specification and that is the fuel grade ethanol which is 200-proof has to be right at that number so if we were producing a product that was lower in alcohol content we could not sell it. Everything we've made, whether it's ethanol, distiller's dried grains or syrup; it's all been on spec. In that regards we've had a very good start-up."

With construction nearing completion, Hoffman says landscaping with trees to be planted on the south and west side will be done in the spring. Plymouth Energy also will host an open house in the future.