Claremont, Oct 26 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and Al-Corn Clean Fuel hosted a virtual plant visit yesterday for Owatonna High School students.

The students, from grades 9 to 12, were shown a detailed video of the plant’s ethanol production process and facts on the ethanol industry. 

“It's important for students to learn how clean, Minnesota-grown, renewable energy is produced. In addition, this was an opportunity for students to learn about the important role ethanol plays in strengthening Minnesota's economy and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Randall Doyal, CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel.

During the virtual visit, he explained to the students that ethanol production goes on 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“It’s continuous, it doesn’t stop. So, we’re constantly grinding corn, we’re constantly mixing it in and we’re pumping in recovered water and cooked corn into a fermenter at about 1,700 gallons per minute,” Doyal said.

A total of 26 students were in attendance for yesterday’s virtual visit. They were from the school’s agriculture exploration class.

“By being able to talk to an ethanol plant CEO, the students now have a better understanding of the ethanol production process and what it takes to operate an ethanol plant,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Bio-Fuels.

Elizabeth Tinaglia, agriculture teacher at Owatonna High School, said the virtual visit enabled her students to gain an understanding of the relationship between the agriculture and energy industries and explore potential career opportunities.