(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman has awarded $355,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to help build the road access needed for the Aventine Renewable Energy ethanol plant being built in Aurora.

The grant funding will help construct concrete turnout lanes on U.S. Hwy. 34 and extend concrete paving south of the highway to Heritage Dr. where the facility is located. The plant is part of the Aurora West Industrial Park. The city of Aurora will provide $1.2 million in matching funds for the project.

"We are happy to partner with the city of Aurora in funding the necessary infrastructure needed for this new plant to come on line and meet production and delivery goals," Gov. Heineman said. 

The Aventine ethanol facility will be capable of producing 110 million gallons of ethanol and 343,000 tons of distiller grains a year. Corn will be supplied by the Aurora Cooperative, which has built a grain storage and handling facility at the Aurora West Industrial Park. The Aurora West ethanol project will result in the creation of at least 35 full-time jobs.

In 2007, Aventine provided 690 million gallons of ethanol to distributors and marketed the wet distillers grains through the Aurora Cooperative.

The grant is part of Nebraska's annual allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, which assists states with businesses and community improvement projects. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is administered by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

CONTACT
Patty Wood 402-471-1559