Western New York Energy Investing $2M for Added Grain Storage

Medina, New York-based ethanol plant Western New York Energy, is undertaking a $2 million project to expand the company’s grain storage capacity.

Currently, the company has two 500,000 bushels grain bins for a total grain storage capacity of 1 million bushels, or 18 days worth of corn when the plant is operating at full capacity. This project will add an additional 800,000 bushel storage facility to the complex, which uses 20 million bushels of corn per year to produce 55 million gallons of ethanol.

Due to the local weather patterns, the extra storage will allow for the plant to receive and store more corn on site when bad weather can interfere with harvest and delivery schedules in the fall and winter. Often, farmers would attempt to deliver corn early before bad weather hits, but have been turned away because of lack of storage. In the longer term, the added storage will support the company when it undertakes a planned future expansion.