Green Plains Renewable Energy and BioProcess Algae Host U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack at Grand Opening of Phase II Grower Harvester Bioreactors
April 15 2011
Dublin, 15th April 2011: NTR plc, the international renewable energy group, today announces that U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, will deliver the keynote address at the Grand Opening of Phase II of BioProcess Algae’s Grower HarvesterTM bioreactors at Green Plains Renewable Energy’s ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa.
“We are honored to have Secretary Vilsack deliver the keynote address at this important event for BioProcess Algae and to see firsthand our bioreactor technology growing and harvesting algae,” said Todd Becker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Green Plains Renewable Energy. “The next step for us is to take our commercial scale reactors and build out an algae farm at our ethanol plant in Shenandoah, which can produce inputs needed for feed, food and next generation algae-based fuels. The co-location at an ethanol plant has proven to be the right platform to rapidly commercialize this technology."
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About NTR plc
NTR plc, the international renewable energy group, builds and runs green energy and resource-sustaining businesses. Founded in 1978, NTR has evolved from being a developer and operator of infrastructure in Ireland to an international developer and operator of renewable energy (wind, solar and ethanol) and sustainable waste management businesses in the USA and Ireland. The Group employs over 2,000 people. www.ntrplc.com
About BioProcess Algae, LLC
BioProcess Algae LLC is a joint venture among CLARCOR Inc. (NYSE: CLC) a global provider of filtration products, BioProcessH2O LLC, a wastewater purification technology company, Green Plains Renewable Energy, and the international renewable energy group NTR plc, which builds and runs green energy and resource-sustaining businesses. BioProcess Algae was created to commercialize advanced photo-bioreactor technologies for the growing and harvesting of algal biomass. www.bioprocessalgae.com
About Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc.
Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRE) is North America’s fourth largest ethanol producer, operating a total of nine ethanol plants in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Tennessee with annual expected operating capacity totaling approximately 740 million gallons. Green Plains also markets and distributes ethanol for independent third-party ethanol producers with annual expected operating capacity totaling approximately 300 million gallons. Green Plains owns 51% of Blendstar, LLC, a biofuel terminal operator which operates nine blending or terminaling facilities with approximately 495 million gallons per year of total throughput capacity in seven states in the south central United States. Green Plains operates grain storage facilities and complementary agronomy and petroleum businesses in Iowa, southern Minnesota and western Tennessee. www.gpreinc.com