· Valero acquired seven world-scale ethanol plants and one development site, making it the first traditional refiner to enter production of ethanol.
· Ethanol is a type of alcohol made by fermenting starch or sugar-based products such as corn, potatoes, wheat and sorghum, as well as agricultural products like sugar cane, rice straw and even paper.
· Historically, corn has been the go-to source of ethanol because of its low cost and abundance. Plus, corn delivers huge amounts of starch that convert to simpler sugars, which in turn can be fermented into ethanol.
· Valero uses ethanol in blending gasoline.