Miller Magazine Issue: 131 November 2020

64 INTERVIEW MILLER / November 2020 1,000,000,000th gallon of ethanol. Golden Grain is the first independent ethanol producer in Iowa to achieve this milestone. In August 2017, we started optimizing and expand- ing the facility to add an additional 30 million gallons. We are permitted to produce up to 150 million gallons/ year of ethanol, and are actually producing approximate- ly 120 million gallons/year of ethanol with more than 40 million bushels/year of corn. In addition, we are pro- ducing approximately 300,000 tons/year of our Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) and over 30 million pounds/year of corn oil. Can you give us some information about your pro- duction capacity and facility? We have permits in place to produce 150,000,000 GPY of ethanol and co-products. We are currently pro- ducing approximately 130,000,000 GPY of ethanol and co-products. On September 14, 2020, you celebrated a ground-breaking with Sukup Manufacturing Co. for the world’s largest free span grain bin. Can you give us some information about this new system? Storage capacity, dimensions, etc. What advantages will this system provide for your company? In September 2020, Golden Grain Energy started con- struction on a new grain storage and receiving system. This system will increase GGE’s grain storage from ap- proximately 1.375 million bushels to almost 3.5 million bushels. In addition, GGE will increase its receiving ca- pacity from 40,000 bushels per hour to 65,000 bushels per hour. The centerpiece of the storage system is a 2.2 million bushel storage bin supplied by Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield, Iowa. The new storage bin is 165’ in diameter and is the largest steel storage bin in the world. The construction on the project is ex- pected to be complete in May/June 2021 and will increase GGE’s stor- age from about 10 days of storage to approximately 30 days of storage. The increase in storage was ap- proved after completing a rigorous grain origination study using CMC from Albert Lea, MN. This study identified an opportunity increase the amount of grain storage on location and to improve our grain handling capabilities to increase our level of service with our customers. The proj- ect was engineered by KFI Engineers (St. Paul, MN) and project manage- ment will be provided by McGough Construction (St. Paul, MN). Dimensions are as follows: 165 feet in diameter 30 rings tall with 44" rings. 110 feet to the eave 155' 7" tall to the peak. When we look at the history of Golden Grain Ener- gy, we see a constant expansion. Will the expansion continue? Could you tell us about your future expan- sion plans? We continue to optimize and expand the facility. We are look- ing at adding additional process changes to improve the efficien- cy, produce more value added co-products, or lower our produc- tion costs or energy needed to operate the facility. We evaluate each change based on its return on investment and its internal rate of return to prioritize which project we need to work on. The spread of the Covid-19 has negatively affected the world economy, including the ethanol industry. Do you have any concerns about further slowdown in biofuel consumption? What does the future look like for the ethanol industry? The COVID19 pandemic had been very detrimental to the biofuels industry. The entire industry is operating pro- duction rate that is lower than it was pre-pandemic. We can not shutdown the entire economy again. We must pro- tect our highest risk individuals and continue to operate our economy. The industry will continue to evolve to support the needs economy. Some plants will opt to produce higher purity alcohol to support the cleaning/disinfectant markets. Ground was broken for the world’s largest free span grain bin on September 14, 2020, at Golden Grain Energy’s ethanol production plant in Mason City, Iowa.