Workshops Provide “Standard Operating Practices” for Ethanol Plant Workers

Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC or “SIRE” is a state-of-the-art dry-mill grain processing facility, located on 275 acres in Council Bluffs, Iowa, producing 140 million gallons of ethanol per year.  It also produces over 365,000 tons of Dried Distillers' Grain (DDGs) annually and has the ability to produce Wet Distiller Grains (WDGs).  It also produces approximately 90,000 pounds of corn oil per day.  The facility consumes over 44.6 million bushels of corn feedstock annually.  The grain originates from a large portion of southwest Iowa and several counties in southeast Nebraska.  SIRE began producing ethanol in February, 2009 and sells its products—including ethanol, distiller’s grains, corn syrup, and corn oil—in the continental United States, Mexico and the Pacific Rim.

Plant production of ethanol has increased from 110,000 gallons per year to 140,000 gallons over the past ten years.  Changes in government regulation and staff turnover and retention were factors in finding a source of best practices and training.

SIRE sent six personnel through two different Nebraska MEP workshops over a two-year period: Process Safety Boot Camp and Process Controls Essentials.  The workshops were designed to familiarize employees with best practices for operating an ethanol plant, as well as gain a better understanding of government regulatory obligations and compliance.  The material gleaned from the workshops was ultimately used in making plant improvements.