Rebate check and power savings for Minnesota ethanol plant

US-based ethanol plant Heron Lake Bioenergy has been working with an energy company to cut its running costs.

Interstate Power and Light, a division of Alliant Energy, has worked with Heron to convert a coal-fired boiler system to natural gas, plus installing a new fan system at the same time.

The plant will see a drop in internal electricity usage of approximately 4.5MKW/h per year, which translates into approximately $275,000 of power annually.

In addition to that saving, Alliant Energy also presented Heron with a rebate check for around $555,000.

‘When a company decides they want to save energy, new technology can really make a big impact,’ Alliant Energy account manager Rebecca Gisel was quoted as saying. ‘This is one of the largest rebate checks we’ve delivered to a customer in Minnesota, and that really emphasises the commitment made by Heron Lake BioEnergy.’