Merger Mania: The Digest looks at rampant biofuels consolidation

In Virginia, Green Plains Inc. announced this week that it had acquired an ethanol production facility in Hopewell, Virginia, located approximately 20 miles south of Richmond, from Future Fuels LLP.  It’s a sign of continuing consolidation in the corn ethanol space. Earlier this year, Aventine merged into Pacific Ethanol. Last September, Flint Hills Resources acquired Southwest Georgia Ethanol’s plant in Camilla, Georgia, the company’s fourth acquisition in a one year period. The company purchased an Iowa plant from Platinum Ethanol. Since then it had begun retrofitting a Southeast Nebraska plant and bought out Petrologistics.

Overall, it’s been a strong year for consolidation across the board — ethanol, biodiesel, advanced biofuels, sustainable agtech portfolios. Here, we take a look at the top 10.