Lieutenant Governor, Becky Skillman, speaks at the groundbreaking cermony for the ASAlliances Biofuels, LLC ethenol plant Thursday morning in Linden. ASAlliances Biofuels, LLC expects construction to take 18 months and plans for operations to begin in mid to late 2007. Kris Fassa/Journal Review photo
Brittney Dick, Journal Review Reporter
Lt. Governor Becky Skillman participated Thursday in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Linden ethanol plant.
“This is a great day for Montgomery County, of course, but it is also a great day for the state of Indiana,” Skillman said. “This ethanol plant represents another step on the journey we are taking to turn Indiana into the global leader in the production and development of biofuels. It is also illustrating our commitment to Indiana farmers, consumers and the environment.”
The plant will be adjacent to Cargill AgHorizons, off County Road 1100N.
Cargill will play an essential role by supplying corn origination, energy and corn risk-management services, transportation logistics expertise and the marketing of the ethanol and dry distillers grain products. DDG is the process’s byproduct and is used to feed livestock. The plant will be capable of producing an annual yield of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 315,000 tons of DDG.
The enterprise will increase the demand for area farmer’s products, as 40 million bushels of corn will be needed.
If the market calls for more corn — more farmers will plant it — if they can get a good price, said Doug Mills, a farmer south of Crawfordsville.
Cargill farm service group manager Peter Schram expressed confidence the company can secure the necessary corn from local farmers.
The supply was part of the incentive to locate in Linden.
“When factoring corn supply and price, rail access, workforce, utility infrastructure and availability, Linden ranked near the top for an ideal ethanol plant location,” Americas Strategic Alliances President David Black said. “ASA Alliances Biofuels, LLC is confident that this undertaking will be a great success.”
ASA Alliances Biofuels is the development company comprised of Fagen Inc., Cargill, United Bio Energy LLC and ASA Alliances.
“This is the kind of company we have been looking for,” Montgomery County Economic Development President Bill Henderson said. “Not only does it give us a $100 million boost, it’s ongoing.”
Local government and Indiana will benefit from increased property and income taxes as a result of the investment.
Wages are set to be an average of $45,000 per year, excluding benefits. The per capita personal income in Montgomery County was $24,908 in 2003, according to reports by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Census Bureau and Indiana Family Social Services Administration.
The plant will employ an estimated 58 employees. Hiring will begin in the late summer 2006, with the majority taking place toward the end of the year.
Construction should take 18 months.
Full-scale operations are scheduled to begin mid 2007.
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