RoughRider Energy plans 240 MMgy ethanol plant in North Dakota

RoughRider Energy plans 240-million-gallon corn ethanol plant in southwestern North Dakota

RoughRider Energy LLC is developing a 240 million-gallon-per-year corn ethanol plant near Glen Ullin in southwestern North Dakota, with commercial operations targeted for 2029. Construction on the facility is expected to begin this year following a series of zoning approvals.

The project secured its initial zoning approval in September when the Morton County Planning and Zoning Commission approved an application to reclassify a 718-acre site from agricultural to industrial use. The Morton County Commission followed with approval in October.

Infrastructure and Operational Scope

According to documents submitted to county authorities, the facility will comprise grain receiving and storage infrastructure, ethanol processing units, coproduct handling facilities, process utilities, and rail and road connections. It will also include stormwater management and fire protection systems, along with administrative and maintenance buildings.

At full capacity, the plant will process around 84 million bushels of locally and regionally sourced corn annually. It will produce the following outputs:

Approximately 240 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol
660,000 tonnes of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS)
95 million pounds of corn oil each year

Carbon Capture and Pipeline Integration

The facility will include integrated equipment to capture and compress carbon dioxide generated during fermentation. Once compressed at the plant, the carbon dioxide will be transported through a proposed pipeline developed by RoughRider Carbon Transport LLC.

According to county records, this pipeline will link the plant to an underground geological storage facility currently being advanced by Summit Carbon Storage #1 LLC in Mercer County, situated roughly 15 miles north of the ethanol facility.

Wade Boeshans, who serves as executive vice president at Summit Carbon Solutions, is listed in county paperwork as the president of RoughRider Energy LLC. Meanwhile, filings submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission identify Bruce Rastetter—founder of Summit Agricultural Group—as an executive officer for RoughRider Energy Holdings LLC.

Regional Ethanol Expansion

The Glen Ullin project is among the new ethanol developments planned in southwestern North Dakota. A 75 MMgy corn ethanol plant has additionally been put forward by Gevo to be built adjacent to its current facility located in Richardton, which sits about 30 miles west of Glen Ullin.