Chippewa Valley Ethanol uses corn cobs

AgriNews - Minnesota and Northern Iowa
By Heather Thorstensen
Date Modified: 12/17/2009 9:57 AM

ST. PAUL -- A southwest Minnesota ethanol company will buy more than just corn from farmers. It wants their cobs, too.

Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company in Benson is using approximately 70 tons of corn cobs, wood and glycerin per day in their gasifier. They burn the gas for steam, which is used as a heat source to make ethanol.

CVEC hopes to eventually reach 300 tons of biomass per day, which would replace 90 percent of the natural gas they use with renewable sources. Currently, they're replacing 20 percent.

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