Feb 7, Claremont – Eight students from Triton High School toured Al-Corn Clean Fuel today to learn about renewable energy production.

During the tour, the students learned about the different components of ethanol production such as incoming grain grading, grain handling, grain storage, liquefaction, fermentation, distillation, distiller grain drying, corn oil separation, product storage and product shipment.

The students, from grades 11 to 12, were from Triton High School’s Agricultural Economics class. Triton High School is located in Dodge Center, some eight miles away from Al-Corn Clean Fuel.

“The ethanol industry plays a vital role in boosting the economy here in Claremont and its surrounding towns. We source 40 million bushels of corn a year from local farms to produce 120 million gallons of ethanol,” said Randall Doyal, CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel.

Founded in 1994, Al-Corn Clean Fuel also produces 310,000 tons of dried distillers grains with solubles (a high-protein livestock feed) and 28 million pounds of corn oil a year.

Today’s tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels). Al-Corn Clean Fuel is a member of MN Biofuels.

“Today’s tour marks the launch of our 2020 Ethanol Plant Tour Program for high schools. It is important for students to visit their local ethanol plants to learn how ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions, plays a significant role in the local economy, saves consumers at the pump and reduces our dependence on foreign oil,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.

Triton High School's Agriculture Educator, Robert Ickler, accompanied his students during today’s tour.

“We are doing a commodity marketing unit and visiting the plant will help them visualize what one of the end-users of corn looks like,” he said.