Farm to fuel: Inside North Dakota biofuel

RICHARDTON, N.D. (KFYR) — Visitors from across the globe came to western North Dakota this week to explore a unique plant known for corn farming, ethanol production, and underground carbon storage.

North Dakota agriculture is catching the eye of leaders worldwide. A group of visitors spanning from Japan to Europe traveled to a remote area about 30 minutes south of Richardton—not just to tour GEVO’s carbon capture and biofuels plant, but to see firsthand how local farming, ethanol, and carbon capture all connect.

“For our project, it’s really important for our buyer ecosystem to get on the ground and understand what’s happening. And become closer and more intimately involved in the project here,” said Alex Clayton, chief carbon officer with Gevo.

Local agronomist and farmer Travis Messer kicked off the tour, providing an in-depth explanation of how critical “farm-to-fuel” practices are for producers and the environment.

Gevo’s North Dakota facility captures fermentation carbon and stores it underground. Running it requires steady grain, giving local producers a direct link to the global carbon market—a connection that drew visitors from thousands of miles away.

“Not just to look at the facilities where we capture CO2 and store it in the ground. But to actually see where the ethanol comes from, where it’s grown here, and the corn is grown here, to see how it works. To see how the data is collected, to see how the process works,” said JW Bode, a tour member who traveled from the United Kingdom.

Bode admired the agricultural practices and the way data is used to optimize crop growth.

“It’s like a totally new generation of how to do farming. And I think that that’s surprising and very impressive,” Bode said.

Aside from the state’s ethanol innovation, the group also experienced North Dakota’s vast open spaces.

“If I start in the northern part of the Netherlands and I drive for two hours, I’ve gone through two different countries. And here, if you’re driving for two hours, you’ve basically gone from one farm to the next,” Bode said.

For international buyers investing in low-carbon fuels, understanding the math starts with understanding the prairie.

Gevo is currently adding a fifth fermentor to its Richardton site to increase efficiency for the project.