Benson, Nov 16 – Twenty students from Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (BBE) High School toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) in Benson this morning to learn about ethanol production.

“School tours allow students a first-hand look at the ethanol production process and its role of advancing our local economy in addition to promoting our energy independence and improving our air quality,” said Chad Friese, CEO of CVEC.

The students, from grades 11 to 12, were from BBE High School’s Dairy & Livestock Production, Ag Business Management and Small Gas Engines classes.

During the tour, they learned about the several different components of ethanol production such as incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, ethanol storage and shipment.

CVEC, which produces 50 million gallons of ethanol annually, is an ethanol production cooperative that commenced operations in 1996 and currently has 50 employees. The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels). CVEC is a member of MN Biofuels.

“Our annual grant program enables schools to tour their local ethanol plant and learn more about Minnesota-produced renewable fuels,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.

BBE High School’s agriculture instructor, Gary Rodgers, said that his students had learned about oxygenated fuels and ethanol prior to today’s tour during their small engines training program.

“My students learned how the process works and saw that ethanol is providing good jobs, creating more demand for locally grown corn and reducing pollution in engines burning it. 

“They now have a better understanding of the importance of ethanol blended fuels and are more willing to try ethanol blended fuels and start using it on an ongoing basis,” he said.