The first operating ethanol plant in the Toledo area

The $80 million project had its grand opening yesterday [Jul 11, 2007], even though it has been operating for four months. With 60 employees, it is the first operating ethanol plant in the Toledo area.

This and other similar plants are making an alternative vehicle fuel aimed to cut use of petroleum from overseas. E85, carried at some local gas stations, has 85 percent ethanol and is cheaper than regular unleaded. But it gets poorer fuel economy.

About 320 farm families in the Blissfield area put up a minimum of $20,000 each to get the project going, and they are still investors.

"Those investors have all got their money back and are now making money," Mr. Ehlert said. The project has a partnership with Midwest Grain Producers, a farm consortium in Lakota, Iowa, and Global Ethanol, Brisbane, Australia, which bought a 60 percent stake and runs the plant.

Other ethanol plants under construction are Greater Ohio Ethanol, 57 million gallons in Lima, and Summitt Ethanol LLC, 69 million gallons in Leipsic in Putnam County.

Proposed are a 108 million-gallon Toledo plant by Buckeye Biofuels LLC; a 50 million-gallon plant in Fremont by Ohio Renewable Fuels LLC; a 60 million-gallon plant by Fostoria Ethanol LLC in Fostoria; a 108 million-gallon plant in Gibsonburg by Renewable Agricultural Energy Inc.; and a 100 million-gallon plant in Port Clinton by NexGen Bio Fuels Inc.

The Andersons Inc. of Maumee has plants in Albion, Mich., and Clymers, Ind., and is building a third.