POET Biorefining – Chancellor started producing ethanol last week at its expanded capacity of 100 million gallons per year (MGPY). It took the plant fewer than 24 hours to achieve its new nameplate capacity. The $100 million construction project started 12 months ago and doubled the plant's production capacity. With the expansion completed, the annual production capacity of POET's 22 ethanol plants is 1.25 billion gallons per year.
Construction continues at the plant on a solid waste fuel boiler, which will burn waste wood to produce more than half of the expanded plant's power needs Waste wood from pallets, construction sites and area landfills will be the primary fuel source for the solid waste fuel boiler.
POET Biorefining – Chancellor started operations in March 2003. Last year, the facility produced 51 million gallons of ethanol and 160,000 tons of Dakota Gold Enhanced Distillers Nutrition products. Construction on the solid waste fuel boiler is expected to be complete in Q3 2008. The expansion and the addition of the solid waste fuel boiler will necessitate the hiring of approximately 20 new employees for the facility, which is already the largest employer in Chancellor.
