The former Red Trail Energy ethanol plant at Richardton, North Dakota, is now owned by Gevo. It produces low-carbon fuel. (Photo courtesy of Red Trail Energy)
RICHARDTON, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Gevo, the company that purchased the former Red Trail Energy ethanol plant in Richardton, North Dakota, announced this week it will double production capacity at the site.
Gevo will add a second ethanol production facility capable of producing up to 75 million gallons per year of low-carbon ethanol. Earlier this year, Gevo announced plans to expand production of the existing facility from 67 million gallons per year to 75 million gallons per year.
Paul Bloom, president of Colorado-based Gevo, said North Dakota, being a pro-agriculture and pro-energy state, “is at the top of our list” for expansion opportunities.
“We already have the core elements in place in North Dakota, including proven carbon capture and sequestration infrastructure,” Bloom said in a news release.
Red Trail was the first ethanol plant in the country to capture carbon from the fermentation process as it turns corn into ethanol. The carbon is stored underground near the Richardton site in southwest North Dakota.
Gevo bought Red Trail Energy in 2024 in part because of its ability to capture and store carbon and qualify for tax credits and potential for producing sustainable aviation fuel. Gevo has shelved plans for a sustainable jet fuel plant in South Dakota, focusing instead on North Dakota.
In the announcement, Bloom said it was “building the foundation” for sustainable aviation fuel production at the site. Sustainable aviation fuel sells at a higher price than conventional ethanol.
Ethanol is made from corn with animal feed and corn oil as byproducts. One bushel of corn, 56 pounds, will produce 2.9 gallons of ethanol, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. Based on that estimate, that means the expanded plant could use nearly 52 million bushels of corn in a year.
North Dakota produced about 711 million bushels of corn last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced it will allow gasoline with up to 15% ethanol to be sold this summer. It normally doesn’t allow 15% ethanol blends in the summer.
The EPA also calls for an all-time high volume of biofuels to be blended into gasoline and diesel.
Gevo did not provide a cost estimate or a timeline for the project in its announcement.
The expansion would require approval from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality.
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