Australia's $10 million ethanol plant in construction

Construction work has begun on a $10 million (€7.2 million) ethanol plant in Coleambally, Australia, with production expected to begin next year.

Eagle Energy, a group of local farming families, is going to be in control of the development of the plant.

Project Manager Troy Shields says the plant will initially process 15,000 tonnes of locally sourced wheat and corn.

Shields comments: 'The on-ground works have started, the site's been prepared, we are just starting on the foundations of the building. We've split it up into stages and stage one should be finished by the end of July.'

Stage one of the project is comprised of constructing the distillation column and fermentation sheds, minus the ethanol storage outputs, Shields adds.

The project, which will be three stages, should be completed by the end of the year.

'It gets transported to Sydney to the blending plant,' he said.

Locally grown wheat and corn will be delivered to the plant, crushed, fermented and distilled on site, where the ethanol plant will produce fuel and feed for dairy herds.