Ethanol production nears high as distilleries end maintenance period

In Illinois, ethanol production has soared following the end of maintenance season with the second-highest volume produced ever last week at an average of 1.006 million b/d. Plants have invested in boosting production capacity at existing facilities over the past couple of years, keeping the market wondering exactly how much fuel can be produced. It is also difficult to determine at which point prices will turn lower with the increased supply on-hand in the market, which will in turn encourage producers to cut their outputs.