USDA Funds Improvement Projects At 2 Ethanol Plants
The USDA on Jan. 22 awarded $1 million each to Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy LLC and Granite Falls Energy LLC. The grant awards were made under the agency’s Rural Energy for America Program and will support the development renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
Iowa-based Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy’s $1 million grant will support the installation of a slurry heating and reduced backset system at the company’s dry mill ethanol plant. The project is expected to realize $3.18 million per year in savings and to replace 36.69 million kilowatt (kWh) per year.
The $1 million grant awarded to Minnesota-based Granite Falls Energy will support the purchase and installation of a mechanical vapor recompression system, which will increase ethanol production by up to 8.3 million gallons per year. The project is expected to save the business $29.82 million per year and will replace 63,539 kWh per year, which is enough electricity to power 58 homes.
The awards to Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy and Granite Falls Energy were two of 675 projects that will share in $157 million in REAP funding announced by the USDA on Jan. 22. A full list of projects is available on the agency’s website.
Source Link: https://ethanolproducer.com/articles/usda-funds-improvement-projects-at-2-ethanol-plants
