Valero bring ethanol plants back online in US

US-based ethanol producer Valero Energy has restarted its facility in Ohio and aims to resume operations at another in Indiana ‘in the coming weeks’.

After the US drought of 2012, that placed extreme pressure on corn levels and prices for both the biofuels and food industries, Valero idled three plants last June but now it is coming back positively.

‘Margins have improved where these plants can be operated at a profitable level,’ Valero executive communications director Bill Day says.

The third plant in the equation, based in Nebraska, restarted in February and all three have an annual capacity of 110 million gallons of ethanol.