White Dog Labs to produce aquaculture feed from ethanol stream . . .
Nebraska is the nation’s #2 producer of ethanol with 25 plants having a capacity of more than 2.5 billion gallons per year, yet growth in the industry continues.
White Dog Labs (WDL), a Delaware-based biotech company has announced plans to establish a processing facility at Midwest Renewable Energy’s ethanol plant near Sutherland, Nebraska. Construction is expected to begin in the spring with the plant being completed in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The project, which uses a fermentation process similar to the ethanol production process will further diversify the output of the ethanol facility and maximize the utilization of the existing plant infrastructure. “We are excited to work with WDL, as we are impressed with the simplicity of the process, the high value of the product in the ever-growing aquaculture industry, and the fact that the process will add more feed co-products to our current offering,” said Tom Wilson, general manager of Midwest Renewable Energy in an October press release announcing the WDL plant.
The company is also the recipient of an investment from Invest Nebraska, the state’s public-private venture development organization. “We conducted due diligence on WDL’s technology, products and plans and are extremely optimistic about the company’s potential,” said Dan Hoffman, CEO of Invest Nebraska. “WDL’s entrepreneurship, technology, products, markets and emphasis on sustainability, fit nicely with our profile of high potential companies, and we are excited that they have selected Nebraska for their first plant.”
WDL has been doing pilot manufacturing of its ProTyton single cell protein ingredient used in feed for aquaculture and is now at the point of commercial production. “We are certainly pleased with the investment,” said Bryan Tracy, WDL’s CEO, “But even more importantly, we are delighted to be in such a supportive, action-oriented state starting with NDED, extending to state agencies involved in permitting, to the USDA Nebraska office, and concluding with Invest Nebraska.” He added, “We are looking forward to ProTyton’s production start-up in the Sutherland plant in Q4 2019.”
If you have a business that can also diversify the ethanol industry and want to see what Nebraska has to offer, contact NPPD’s Economic Development Department: 402-563-5534. We’d love to talk to you!
White Dog Labs will be served electrically by NPPD’s Retail Division.