Blue Flint Ethanol

Blue Flint Ethanol

Company type	Private
Industry	Bioethanol production
Founded	2007 (2007)
Headquarters	Underwood , United States
Products	Ethanol, dry distillers grains (animal feed)
Number of employees	40
Parent	Great River Energy

Blue Flint Ethanol operates as a bioethanol manufacturing facility situated in Underwood, North Dakota, approximately north of Bismarck, North Dakota. Distinct from conventional ethanol plants that rely on burning fuels such as coal or natural gas, this plant utilizes residual heat generated from electricity production at the adjacent Coal Creek Station. The $100 million investment processes 18 million bushels (460,000 metric tons) of corn yearly, yielding 50 million gallons (190 million liters) of ethanol. This operation contributes an estimated $160 million in net economic benefits to North Dakota and supports roughly 40 employment positions. Additionally, the facility produces dry distillers grains, a high-value animal feed byproduct. Approximately two-thirds of the corn feedstock is transported by rail from southeastern North Dakota, while the remaining one-third is cultivated locally. In 2006, the plant earned the Project of the Year Award presented by Governor John Hoeven.

History

Construction of the Coal Creek power plant, which supplies thermal energy for Blue Flint’s ethanol production, commenced in 1974 and reached full operational status by 1980. Initially, it employed steam heat for drying lignite coal but experienced a loss of about 60% of the steam’s thermal energy. In 2005, Headwaters Incorporated teamed up with Great River Energy (GRE) to establish an ethanol production facility adjacent to Coal Creek. Headwaters maintained majority ownership and oversaw both construction and operational management, while GRE held a minority interest. The building phase took place in 2006, with production launching in February 2007. By 2010, Headwaters divested its 51% stake to GRE, which now possesses full ownership of the plant.

Similar facilities

Although Blue Flint Ethanol is the pioneering U.S. ethanol plant utilizing waste heat for production, other operations are adopting comparable technologies. Great River Energy is advancing a coal-fired boiler project in Spiritwood, North Dakota, with a baseload capacity of 62 megawatt (and 37 megawatt peaking capacity), which will generate electricity, malt, and produce 100 million U.S. gallons (380 million liters) of ethanol annually. Furthermore, a facility in Goodland, Kansas with a capacity of 20 megawatts is planned to produce electricity, ethanol, and biodiesel.

See also

• Cogeneration – combined heat and power (CHP)
• Ethanol fuel in the United States
• Ethanol fermentation
• Corn ethanol
• Cellulosic ethanol
• Biofuel