HOPEWELL, Va. (AP) — An ethanol plant in Hopewell that sat idle since 2010 has begun operations under its new owner.
Vierol Bio Energy LLC originally had planned to dismantle the plant and ship the equipment to its plant in England. The company reconsidered and decided to open the plant after production slowed in England.
Hopewell city manager Mark Haley tells The Progress-Index (https://bit.ly/1ooVI3p ) that Vierol's CEO told him recently that the plant has produced about 1 million gallons of ethanol.
Plant manager Larry Wilson confirmed to the newspaper that the plant is operating.
Osage Bio Energy completed the plant in 2010 but never opened it. Vireol's investor, Future Capital Partners, later bought the plant for $13 million.
The plant will produce ethanol from corn and other grains.
