By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The state of Illinois is giving the biofuel industry $25 million in grants to expand production of ethanol and biodiesel.
The money will help build or expand five biofuel plants around the state, including an ethanol plant in the Metro East town of Sauget.
Hans Detweiler, with the Illinois Department of Commerce, says the Sauget area is ideal for fuel production: "That site has really strong infrastructure, great access to the river, great access to utilities, and we're very much looking forward to that project going under construction."
A subsidiary of of St. Louis-based Center Oil is building the plant. It's estimated to cost $100 million. Nearly $6 million of that will be covered by state grants and tax credits.