Published: May 15, 2009 12:12 am      

Fuel for the Future

Biofuels operation is dedicated in South Shore

SOUTH SHORE — Gov. Steve Beshear and several other dignitaries on Wednesday used a piece of equipment from what is rapidly becoming Kentucky’s farming past to help usher in what many believe is the state’s energy, economic and agricultural future.



Beshear, state Environmental and Energy Secretary Len Peters, state Rep. Tanya Pullin and state Rep. Rocky Adkins climbed aboard a burley tobacco setter pulled by a tractor and planted four rows of miscanthus seedlings at a dedication ceremony for a new biofuels operation.

In a few months, those seedlings will grow into a grass that will be harvested and turned into energy pellets by Midwestern Biofuels LLC.

Several hundred turned out for Wednesday’s ceremony at the company’s base of operations, on the former Hooker Chemical property on Johnson Lane near South Shore.

Midwestern Biofuels is planting about 300 acres of miscanthus at that location and is leasing another 500 acres of property off the Northeastern Kentucky Industrial Parkway for that same purpose. The company also plans to enlist farmers within a 50-mile radius of the facility to grow miscanthus, paying them a per-acre rate for doing so and also purchasing their yields at harvest time.

Miscanthus is a perennial grass native to parts of Asia and Africa. Once planted, it grows back yearly for 20 years. It’s considered a desirable choice for a biofuel because of its rapid growth, low mineral content and high biomass yield.

The pellets produced by Midwestern Biofuels will be used by coal-fired electricity generating plants as a source of low-emissions fuel. Carbon emissions from burning miscanthus are equal to the amount of CO2 the plant uses from the atmosphere, which means the entire process is carbon-neutral.

The facility will be producing pellets in less than two weeks, Midwestern Biofuels President Jeff Lowe said.

When it reaches peak capacity, plans call for the operation to employ 200 to 300.

“This is a great day for Kentucky and a great day for South Shore, but, more than that, it’s a great day for America,” said Pullin, a Democrat who represents the area where the facility is located. “What’s only being talked about in other places is being done right here.”

Peters called the facility “a very unique opportunity to blend the energy and agriculture industries” for Kentucky’s benefit, as well as an opportunity to position the commonwealth in a “leadership position” in the production and use of biomass and biofuels.

Peters said if the United States ever adopts a “cap and trade” system regarding low-carbon fuels, similar to those some European countries already have, Midwestern Biofuels will be eligible for carbon credits, as will farmers who grow miscanthus.

Peters also said miscanthus seems to be “the right crop” for Kentucky farmers to grow as a fuel source.

“For one thing, it’s not a food crop, so you don’t have the food vs. fuel debate,” he said.

Another advantage to miscanthus is it can be grown nearly anywhere, including in soil that has been mined and is “a little acidic,” Beshear said.

Beshear, casually dressed in jeans, boots and a golf shirt, said the Midwestern Biofuels plant meshed seamlessly with his goal of making Kentucky a national and international economic leader.

“Energy is going to be the driver of economies all over the world in the future,” he said.

The governor also said the plant was a “natural fit” for both the region and for the state in general.

“We have found a way to continue both our agriculture and our manufacturing traditions,” he said.

And, tradition was what Midwestern Biofuels Vice President Brandon Minix said he and his partner were continuing — one of Kentuckians utilizing natural and human resources to produce energy.

Minix also said the support he and Lowe had received for their endeavor from the public and from local, state and federal officials had been “almost overwhelming.”

Beshear called Lowe and Minix “examples of people willing to step up and push the edge of technology in the hope of helping this country become more energy-independent.”

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.