Aurora 
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Aurora, SD Plant
Overview
Valero Renewables-Aurora is located near Aurora, S.D., six miles east of Brookings and 60 miles north of Sioux Falls. The bio-refinery sits on 420 acres and started ethanol production in November 2003. The facility uses a dry-grind production method and state-of-the-art technology to maintain industry-leading standards in production, safety, product quality and environmental stewardship. Recognized as the ethanol industry’s first 100 million-gallon-per-year production facility, the Aurora plant now annually processes more than 47 million bushels of corn into 130 million gallons of denatured ethanol and 480,000 tons of distillers grains co-products. The bio-refinery has a nameplate capacity of 120 million gallons of ethanol per year and employs approximately 70 full-time personnel.
 
The entire kernel of corn is converted to ethanol or distillers grains. Ethanol is an environmentally friendly, high-octane renewable fuel produced by fermenting converted corn starch with yeast. It is used as a blending agent with gasoline. Distillers grains are the co-product left after the ethanol is removed from fermented corn mash, and are sold as a valuable livestock feed. Distillers grains are high in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, making an excellent feed supplement for beef and dairy cattle, swine and poultry. The Aurora plant markets both dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and modified (or wet) distillers grains with solubles (MDGS).
 
The plant timeline:
  • June 2001 – Community leaders began working on plans for the plant
  • June 2002 – Brookings County Planning Commission approved a proposal for a 100 million-gallon-per-year ethanol production facility near Aurora, S.D.
  • January 2003 – Construction began
  • November 2003 – Operations began
  • March 2004 – Grand opening celebrated
  • June 2005 – Plant’s capacity increased to 120 million gallons per year
  • November 2008 – Five-year anniversary celebrated
  • April 2009 – Valero Renewables closed on purchase of the plant from VeraSun Energy
Awards & Honors
  • Operated seven years without an OSHA lost-time injury, as of end of 2010
Community Activity
  • Employees pledged $18,000 to United Way, with company match projected to bring total plant contribution to approximately $27,000 for 2011
  • Distributed $25,000 to area children’s charities from the Valero Texas Open and Benefit for Children Golf Classic, including Brookings Area Interagency Council, South Dakota 4-H Foundation Inc., and United Retirement Center Inc.
  • Held several volunteer events in 2010, logging more than 580 employee and family hours
  • Aurora Gala Days festival benefit
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Project Joy toy drive
  • Boys and Girls Club
  • South Dakota State University Jackrabbit Athletics – Sporting events for children
  • 4H Foundation
Work at this location.
Receive daily bids via e-mail.
Contact Us
Valero Renewables-Aurora
One Valero Place
Aurora, South Dakota  57002
Send Email(605) 693-6800(888) 693-CORN (2676), toll-free(605) 693-6850
To Purchase Distillers Grains
Curt Lundquist
Distillers Grain Sales Rep (Local Truck Sales)
Send Email(605) 693-6818(877) 696-8786, toll-free
Allan Assmann
Manager-Distillers Grain Sales (Bulk Rail Sales)
Send Email(402) 727-5300