Ethanol Facility’s Intention: Go Fishin’
DesMmoinesRegister:
A plan to recycle energy at a Wisconsin ethanol plant is turning into a fishing expedition with hopes for a big catch.
Owners of Renew Energy plan to harvest about 4.5 million pounds of tilapia at an ethanol plant under construction in Jefferson. The plant would be among the world’s largest indoor tilapia farms, and U.S. seafood experts say it could eventually play a big role in reducing imports of the popular fish.
Paul Olsen, one of the project’s owners and originators, said once Renew Energy starts pumping out fish, which he hopes will be within a year, its experts could visit other ethanol plants to help them start their own tilapia operations.
“A lot of ethanol plants will look at it and say, ‘Hey let’s build a tank,’ ” he said.
After a sharp decline in ethanol profits in the past year, biofuel plants across the nation have been looking for ways to increase revenue by marketing various products related to production, such as the spent grain for animal feed.
When it comes to large-scale fish production, however, some Iowa producers say they will stick to tilapia on a plate for the time being.
Walter Wendland, president of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and of the Golden Grain Energy ethanol plant in Mason City, said he would rather rely on proven energy-efficient technology than be a guinea pig for a fish farm.
“All of these plants are looking at where their niches are for becoming more profitable, because our industry may not be much more profitable down the road,” Wendland said. “In that respect, I think it’s a good idea. But if everybody does it, it’s probably going to take away from the profitability really quick, just like the ethanol industry in a way.”
Experts: An idea with potential… read on.
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