Winthrop, March 24 – Eight students from Glencoe Silver Lake High School toured Heartland Corn Products today to understand how clean renewable Minnesota energy is produced.

The students, from grades 10 to 12, toured the various processes of ethanol production at Heartland Corn Products, which produces 100 million gallons of ethanol a year.

“We regularly welcome high school students to our facility to provide them with a deeper understanding of how Minnesota-grown ethanol is produced,” said Scott Blumhoefer, vice president of Heartland Corn Products.  

The students were given a tour of incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, liquefaction, fermentation and ethanol storage and shipment.

The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association. Heartland Corn Products is a member of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

“We organized eight high school tours in 2016 and today’s visit by Glencoe Silver Lake High School is our first tour of 2017. These tours are part of our annual grant program to high schools in Minnesota,which gives them an opportunity to tour an ethanol plant and learn about renewable energy production.

“With these tours, high school students gain a better understanding of how a homegrown ingredient is converted into a clean fuel that has been reducing and continues to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, saves consumers at the pump and makes us more energy independent,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

Heartland Corn Products is one of the largest plants in Minnesota and was built in 1995.

Rebekah Haddad, agriculture instructor at Glencoe Silver Lake High school, accompanied her students on the tour.

“I am hoping students will gain an awareness of career opportunities, ethanol production and see various tie-ins to other sectors,” she said.