spiritwoodenergypark1Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation (JSDC) Board of Directors, Monday, discussed plans for a $150 million cellulosic ethanol plant at the Spiritwood Energy Park Association industrial park that are underway.

That,  according to Thomas Corle, founding partner of New Energy Investors, of  Pennsylvania.

If built, the ethanol plant would directly employ about 40 people with another 60 people working indirectly for the plant.

The Board  approved recommending a $75,000 match to a $225,000 grant that New Energy Investors has applied for from the Agricultural Products Utilization Committee.

If the APUC grant is approved in May, the money would be used to continue the planning and engineering work for the project.

The planned plant would process corn stover, corn stalks and leaves removed from the field after the grain is harvested and wheat straw to produce ethanol for fuel and lignin, a solid fuel that can be burned by coal-fired generating plants reducing carbon emissions.

It would be the first use of Danish technology to produce cellulosic ethanol in the Midwest.

Construction of the plant will require two years of work with a crew of about 400 people with the plant beginning operations in late 2019 and fully operational by the end of the year.