NCI Hosts Biofuels Industry Tour | July 22 - 24, 2024

Participants at the farm tour in Walcott, ND

The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) hosted its Biofuels Industry Tour last week from July 22 - 24, 2024. The tour educated participants on the biofuels industry and included presentations and local tours from industry experts. This tour was conducted in-person at the Northern Crops Institute in Fargo, ND. There were 19 participants in attendance from India, Ghana, Nigeria, United Arabs Emirates, Egypt, and the United States.

During the Tharaladson Ethanol Plant tour

Day one began with an introduction to biofuels and its trends and impact in agriculture presented by David Ripplinger from NDSU, and then an ethanol 101 presentation from the North Dakota Corn Council. The day concluded with a welcome reception dinner where participants, speakers, sponsors, and NCI staff could network with one another.

Day two’s morning session started with a presentation on the economics of sustainable and then a panel discussion on biofuels with 2 industry experts, Matt Purdue from North Dakota Farmers Union and Juan Vargas Ramirez from EcoEngineers. The afternoon was spent touring a local farm in Walcott, ND. The farm tour was a particular highlight for participants who enjoyed seeing a U.S. corn field, its equipment, grain bins, and more. The participants engaged in great discussions at the comparison between fields in the U.S. and the fields in their home countries.

Participants listening to the Petro Serve Headquarters presentation

The last day was filled with tours! The morning started in Casselton, ND where participants were able to visit the Tharaldson Ethanol Plant and North Dakota Soybean Processors facilities. Another highlight for participants was learning more about Tharaldson during a lab quality tour. After lunch, the tour took participants to the Petro Serve Headquarters in West Fargo, ND to learn about the different types of fuels used in the regions they serve. Petro Serve also showed a virtual tour of one of their gas stations so participants could see where the final product ends up.

Participants enjoyed this tour because they were able to ask industry experts questions and engage in discussions during the various presentations and tours.

To view and register for NCI’s upcoming courses, visit northern-crops.com/courses.