VeraSun Energy Starts Hankinson Ethanol Biorefinery

The Hankinson production plant marks the 12th VeraSun biorefinery in operation, increasing the company's annual operating capacity to 1.2 billion gallons.

"We are pleased to be bringing our Hankinson facility into operation, adding production to our fleet and additional fuel to our domestic supply," said VeraSun CEO Don Endres.

"It is the result of the hard work and dedication of our employees, the community, and the state's leadership, that we are able to nearly double the ethanol production capacity of North Dakota with its first 110-million-gallon biorefinery."

Construction on the Hankinson facility began in August of 2006 and was completed in June.

It will annually process approximately 39 million bushels of corn and produce about 350,000 tons of distillers grains for livestock feed. VeraSun took ownership of the facility through its merger with US BioEnergy, which became final on 1 April.

"The decision to begin production at Hankinson is based on a number of factors, including an improved margin environment as well as other business considerations unique to the facility," Mr Endres said.

"We continue to closely monitor market conditions and make decisions that are in the best interest of our company."

Located on a 220-acre site just off of Interstate I-29 in southeastern North Dakota, the Hankinson ethanol biorefinery employs approximately 50 people. It is the third VeraSun facility to come on-line this year, joining sister production facilities in Marion, South Dakota, and Bloomingburg, Ohio, all engineered by ICM, Inc., of Colwich, Kansas. and built by Fagen, Inc., of Granite Falls, Minnesota.

"The growing need for homegrown, renewable fuels in our country has never been more apparent than it is today," added Mr Endres.

"Thanks to corn producers, in North Dakota and throughout the Midwest, we are starting down a meaningful path towards reducing our dependence on foreign oil, while boosting our local and domestic economies."

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