Des Moines Register
02-14-07
Proposed ethanol plant's size doubles
The Pleasantville facility would make 100 million gallons, the mayor says.
By JERRY PERKINS
REGISTER FARM EDITOR
Red Rock Renewables LLC has almost doubled the size of the ethanol plant it
wants to build in Marion County, Pleasantville Mayor Joe Van Haalen said
Tuesday.
The group, which includes Charles Watson of Oskaloosa and unnamed
investors, announced in November it wants to build a plant that would make 55
million gallons of ethanol a year. But a recent feasibility study calls for a plant
with an annual production capacity of 100 million gallons, Van Haalen said.
Investors are racing to secure the area's corn supply. Vision Fuels is planning a
100 million-gallon plant on Des Moines' southeast side.
The study said the Pleasantville plant would use 37 million bushels of corn.
That's about half the corn crop in Jasper, Marion, Polk and Warren counties,
according to an Iowa State University study.
A letter of intent between Red Rock Renewables and Fagen Inc. of Granite Falls,
Minn., has been secured, with a December construction start, Van Haalen said.
Reporter Jerry Perkins can be reached at (515) 284-8456 or
jperkins@dmreg.com