Scoular acquires Kansas ethanol plant

On 15 February 2011 agricultural marketing firm The Scoular Company finalised its acquisition of the assets of Gateway Plant.

Included in the deal was a Pratt, Kansas, US-based 55mgy ethanol production plant and a 1.8 million bushel shuttle train facility.

The terms of the transaction have not yet been discussed, nor has the company decided if the plant will be renamed.

Before operations can begin the facility requires extensive renovations, however Scoular is hopeful that it will be up and running by the end of 2011. The facility's grain-handling section could be ready to receive grain as early as 1 April this year.

Scoular, which became interested in the ethanol plant back in August 2010 due to its favourable location, will reinstall a boiler package and work on the distillation dehydration and evaporation processes at the plant before it comes online.

The purchase boosts Scoular's Kansas-based biofuels facilities to eight.

'Scoular is pleased to have taken yet another step to serve grain producers and end users in this area, as well as to further expand our presence in the renewable fuels market,' says Chuck Elsea, CEO of Scoular.