Chippewa Valley Ethanol, Benson, MN, at least has some consolation during grim times for the biofuel industry. The west-central Minnesota company also churns out industrial alcohol, a key ingredient in hand sanitizer, reports the Star Tribune.
Normally, industrial alcohol accounts for about 15% of Chippewa Valley’s production, with ethanol making up the rest. But with the COVID-19 crisis, that percentage has risen to 20% and even as high as 22%.
None of Minnesota’s 17 operating ethanol plants have temporarily shut down due to the current crisis. But like their peers across the Midwest’s ethanol belt, they are contemplating cutting biofuel production if they haven’t already.
