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Valero purchases ethanol plant

Valero Energy has purchased a 110-million gallon ethanol plant at the Port of Indiana – Mount Vernon with initial plans to reopen the idled facility later this year.

Rich Cooper, Ports of Indiana CEO says the facility will provide Valero with a strategic advantage in the distribution of ethanol.

“When you combine the resources and expertise of a world-class company like Valero with one of the world’s richest grain producing regions and the port’s multimodal capabilities, there’s a strong likelihood this plant will once again be one of the largest ethanol producers east of the Mississippi River,” Cooper said.

The 1,200 acre port handles over 2,000 barges per year of grain, coal, ethanol, dried distillers grain, fertilizer, steel, minerals, and heavy lift cargoes, and provides connections to five Class I railroads.

“This ethanol plant is a very important facility for the port and the Southwest Indiana region,” said Phil Wilzbacher, port director for the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon. “Valero’s investment into the facility will have a positive impact for farmers, agribusiness, industrial service providers, truck, rail and barge operators, as well as many other area businesses.”