POET Opens Second Ethanol Plant in Ohio

POET, the largest producer of biofuels in the world, was joined at the opening of POET Biorefining - Fostoria by Mike Wagner, Executive Director of the Buckeye Renewable Fuels Association; Robert Boggs, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture; Congressman Bob Latta and Ryan Hunter-Reay, driver of the #17 Ethanol IndyCar, Rahal Letterman Racing.

"Although we continue to import far more oil than we should, we are making progress," Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, said. "Today, the U.S. ethanol industry is already cutting into foreign oil imports. The ethanol produced in this facility will displace over 65 million gallons of fossil fuels annually."

"It is always an exciting day when we can open another facility such as this that helps expand the ethanol industry," said Ryan Hunter-Reay. "The industry has made great strides in the last few years and I am proud to be associated with it."

This is POET’s 25th ethanol production facility and it will be equipped with technology that significantly decreases its environmental footprint. That technology includes POET’s patent-pending BPX™ process that eliminates the need for heat in the cooking process of producing ethanol, reducing energy usage by 8-15 percent in comparison with conventional plants. It will also be outfitted with a regenerative thermal oxidizer that eliminates up to 99.9 percent of air emissions.

"As energy demands continue to grow in the United States, the nation’s dependency on Middle Eastern Oil must decline," said Congressman Bob Latta. "The POET Biorefining facility is an important piece of our energy plan to help reduce that dependency by producing clean burning ethanol, economic growth, and jobs to northwest Ohio."

POET Biorefining - Fostoria will utilize 22 million bushels of corn from the area to produce 65 million gallons of ethanol and 178,000 tons of Dakota Gold Enhanced Nutrition Distillers Products™ per year. Ethanol marketing for the facility is provided by POET Ethanol Products and co-products are marketed by POET Nutrition. Rail access is through Norfolk Southern. The $130 million facility employs 38 people with an annual payroll above $2 million.

POET Biorefining - Fostoria is the second POET ethanol production facility in Ohio with one more under construction near Marion. POET Biorefining - Marion will hold their grand opening ceremony on October 24. POET also has a pilot scale cellulosic ethanol plant under construction in Scotland, S.D. that will begin producing ethanol from corn cobs before the end of the year.

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