Aventine ships first BNSF unit-train of ethanol from Aurora

In Illinois, Aventine Renewable Energy announced its first BNSF unit-train shipment of ethanol produced at its two ethanol facilities in Aurora, Nebraska.

On April 19 Aventine’s first unit train pulled out of Aurora heading to Birmingham, Alabama. The ethanol will be blended in gasoline to enhance octane, and will also help reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.

“It’s a major milestone in executing unit trains out of Aurora, eliminating obsolete single-car switching and moving Aventine assets into the highly efficient unit-train supply chain mode,” said Mark Beemer, Aventine’s president and CEO.

“Through a solid partnership with the BNSF, Aventine now has direct access from the BNSF mainline to our inner-loop unit-train track, using a newly installed mainline switch, track and a rail crossover built on Aventine’s land,” Beemer stated. “With our ability to produce 155-million gallons of ethanol, additional economics will be driven by quicker and more efficient moves of ethanol trains into large unit-train consumptive end markets.”

Two years ago Beemer and the Aventine management team devised a strategic plan to logistically derisk the facility from adverse local conditions. Tactics deployed beyond the rail upgrades include installing four new truck scales, two new grain-grading labs and additional corn storage.