SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S. — Pacific Ethanol Inc. plans to idle the 100-million-gallon-per-year western portion of its ethanol plant in Aurora, Nebraska, U.S., according to a report from Reuters.
Citing sources familiar with the plant’s operations, Reuters said the facility will be shut down over the next two weeks due to historically weak margins. The shutdown could potentially extend into the summer, the news agency noted.
Pacific Ethanol is the sixth largest ethanol producer in the United States. In December, the company shut the smaller, eastern portion of the Aurora plant.
Pacific’s share price fell to a historical low of 76¢ on Dec. 31, 2018, before rebounding a bit to start the new year. The company’s stock closed at $1 on Jan. 3.