Janesville, Oct 25 - For the second time in two months, Guardian Energy provided a group of students from Minnesota State University, Mankato a closer look at how renewable fuel is produced. Yesterday, Guardian Energy welcomed 10 students from Minnesota State Mankato’s Agroecology class. In September, a group of 11 students from the university’s biotechnology class toured the plant.

“We were happy to welcome students from Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Agroecology class. In addition to giving them a first-hand look at our production process, we’re able to inform students about the various ways our industry benefits MN – by strengthening rural economies, reducing harmful carbon emissions, providing options and lower prices at the pump and supporting energy independence,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.

During the tour, the students toured the various parts of the plant’s ethanol production process including incoming grain grading and handling, fermentation, grain storage, ethanol storage and shipment and dried distillers grains with solubles production and storage.

The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). Guardian Energy is a member of MN Bio-Fuels.

Chris Ruhland, a professor at the department of biological sciences at Minnesota State Mankato, accompanied his students for the tour. 

“In my Agroecology course, we talk quite a bit about how plants convert solar energy into chemical energy that can be stored within the plant (or seeds).  Learning how this energy can be extracted and converted into ethanol is incredibly important to understand for students studying industrial uses for plants, especially in light of global energy production,” he said.