Valero reopens ethanol plant at Indiana river port

Valero Renewable Fuels Co. L.L.C. has restarted ethanol production at a plant it recently purchased at the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon. The plant had been shut down for about two years.

Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann, other state and local officials, and Ports of Indiana executives marked the reopening yesterday. Projected to produce 110 million gallons annually, the Mount Vernon, Ind., facility is the 11th corn ethanol plant in Valero Renewables' system and second in Indiana.

"When the 10th-largest company in the U.S. decides to make such a large investment in Indiana, the company is confirming that we have a great business climate that includes our strong agriculture industry and our multi-modal transportation infrastructure," said Ellspermann in a press release.

The Mount Vernon plant's logistical advantages include ready access to corn suppliers, as well as strong rail, truck and barge transportation, state officials said. The port is served by the Evansville Western Railway, which interchanges with BNSF Railway Co., CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad.

"Valero's team recognized there are considerable strategic advantages for the production and distribution of ethanol at an Ohio River port," said Ports of Indiana Chief Executive Officer Rich Cooper.