GREYBULL – A corn ethanol plant under development in Greybull has been put on hold by its owners, Big Horn Basin Ethanol and Bronte Renewable of Ontario. High corn prices and rapidly shifting technology were given as reasons for the halt. Big Horn Basin Ethanol is evaluating a switch from ethanol-only production to a mix of ethanol and food products.

This is the latest plant to jump off the corn-to-fuel bandwagon. Most of the suspensions are due to a fall in ethanol prices and increasing production costs, but other factors have also come into play.

In May, Poet canceled development of a 65 Mgy corn ethanol plant in Glenville, Minn., citing permitting delays. In June, VeraSun Energy announced that it would delay opening two ethanol plants under construction in Minnesota and Iowa, citing financial conditions for the delay. In July, Pro Eco Energy stopped development of a planned $200 million corn ethanol plant in Belle Fourche, S.D., citing unfavorable debt and equity markets for starch-based ethanol projects.

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