SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S. — Twenty-five of POET’s network of 27 biorefineries have now installed its patent-pending corn oil technology, bringing its total capacity to approximately 250,000 tons per year, enough feedstock to produce 68 million gallons of biodiesel annually, POET said on Jan. 17.
POET has been selling Voilà corn oil into biodiesel and feed markets since January 2011, when POET Biorefining – Hudson (South Dakota, U.S.) first began to produce it on a commercial scale. Strong demand for the product prompted upgrades at the majority of the plants in the POET network.
"Having a more diverse portfolio of products has been a benefit for POET, particularly when ethanol margins are challenging," POET Chief Executive Officer Jeff Lautt said. "Expanding our product line is an important part of our strategy for growth."
POET plants in the U.S. that are producing corn oil include:
- Indiana: POET Biorefining – Alexandria, Cloverdale, North Manchester and Portland.
- Iowa: POET Biorefining – Ashton, Coon Rapids, Corning, Emmetsburg, Gowrie, Jewell and Hanlontown.
- Missouri: POET Biorefining – Laddonia.
- Michigan: POET Biorefining – Caro.
- Minnesota: POET Biorefining – Lake Crystal, Glenville and Preston.
- Ohio: POET Biorefining – Fostoria, Leipsic and Marion.
- South Dakota: POET Biorefining – Big Stone, Chancellor, Hudson, Groton and Mitchell as well as the POET Research Center in Scotland
One of POET’s four Ingreenuity goals is to increase production of bio-based products. Corn oil is playing an important role in reaching that goal.
“There’s a bio-based solution to so much of what petroleum supplies today," Lautt said. "It’s exciting for me to see POET playing a large part in providing those solutions."
Voilà is just one item on POET's growing list of products created at its plants. In addition to ethanol, POET produces products for animal feed including Dakota Gold distillers dried grains. POET also captures carbon dioxide at five of its plants for sale to beverage producers and other users.
